Twilight 1. Chapter 1

**A/N: FINALLY. **

**I'm really sorry that I've taken forever to post this first chapter, but things have been hectic with school/university applications. Also, I'm still iffy about where the plotline of this story is going to go… as usual. **

**But for now, why don't I just stop rambling and let you guys read the first chapter?**

**Here you go!**

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 1

Bella 

My movements were fast-paced as I hurried out of the freezing New Hampshire winter weather and into the warmth of my favorite hole-in-the-wall café. The faces of college-aged people, either typing away on their laptops as they enjoyed the free Wi-Fi, or reading a book and intermittently sipping on their coffee, immediately greeted me.

More often than not, I belonged to the latter group of people.

As I made my way to the counter, I didn't even bother to look up at the wooden menu board attached above the wall, greeting the cashier who I'd come to know on a first name basis – yes, I visited the place _that_ often.

"Hey Ang," I said, a congenial smile on my face as she beamed back.

"Hey Bella. Are you having the usual?" she smirked a little at the end, as I simply nodded, "You know me too well."

My usual consisted of a Vanilla Latte, plain and simple.

As she ringed up my order, the black and white photographs plastered decoratively on the wall made me start, "Oh, and how's your scrapbook coming along?"

Angela was studying photography at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, while I was a third year sociology major at Dartmouth College – which was terribly ironic considering my total lack of social skills.

"I'm almost finished, actually," she replied, a small, surprised smile etched across her face as she adjusted her plastic-framed glasses. Then, she reached for a cup, scribbling my order out for the nearby barista, who – surprise, surprise – I also knew.

"I only have two more pages to do, and I'm thinking of featuring a rusty park bench, and a lone lamppost," she informed me as I handed her my money, and she placed the bill and change into my open hand.

"I'd really love to see it when it's all finished," I replied honestly, knowing just how much hard work she had put into the piece, and feeling the sides of my lips tug when she beamed, "Of course! You'll be the first to see it after it'd been graded."

Less than two minutes of waiting by the counter earned me my coffee, and I gladly accepted the drink, walking across the room to sit at one of the empty tables in a secluded corner.

Unsurprisingly, I whipped out the book that I was currently devouring, called _Gone Girl, _waiting for my latte to cool to a lukewarm temperature before taking a sip.

In between flipping pages and grabbing my cup to take another gulp, my eyes wandered around the room, taking note of the many familiar faces I saw. Most were my age, and regulars to the café. Some were new.

Just as I was about to peer back down into my book, the door swung open, making the room get a brief taste of the cold breeze outside and me almost lose hold of my coffee, observing a bronze-haired God walk up to the counter.

Now, I'll tell you right now: either he had never before visited this café in his life, or he was a regular like me but was never present when I was, because I guarantee you, I wouldn't have forgotten _that_ face.

Almost as soon as that thought appeared in my mind, I mentally slapped myself, looking back down into my book. My brief moment of drooling was gone.

I mean, I had a boyfriend, for crying out loud. Would I have appreciated it if a thought like this passed through his mind when _he_ saw a pretty girl?

Well, interestingly, I personally wouldn't mind.

But in theory, I was supposed to feel annoyed were he to ever visibly check out another girl.

As I continued to internally berate myself, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, setting my book down in front of me.

**Wanna catch a movie later? I wouldn't mind a break from all of this work. And of course, the company ;) **

Speak of the devil – my boyfriend of four years, Jacob Black.

Where do I even begin? We'd basically grown up together, since our fathers had been the best of friends – still are. It was because of the many play dates we'd been on throughout our childhood that a close friendship had soon blossomed between us.

Initially, I'd only though of Jacob as a good friend - a brother, even. But when our senior year of high school had hit, Jake had suddenly confessed that his feelings for me were more-than-friendly, and rather than really think about my own feelings for him, I'd listened to everyone else's opinion and jumped into a relationship.

The whole irony of the situation was that I'd assumed that our relationship would never move past a high school romance. I know, I know, that's an odd thing to say, but I knew that the whole 'long-distance relationship' thing was complicated, and often times, messy.

So, you could imagine my wholehearted surprise when Jake accepted an offer to pursue engineering at one of the universities here in New Hampshire.

In other words, we wouldn't _have_ to break things off, because we would be living in close proximity.

When he'd initially presented me with the news, I'd been surprised at my lack of excitement, alarmed that the news filled me with more dread than anything. Naturally, I'd pushed all of those negative feeling aside, putting on a mask of total euphoria as he'd given me a bone-crushing hug.

Fast-forward to three years later, and he was currently finishing his last year of college, before he planned to take part in a one-year internship that would hopefully provide him with greater job opportunities.

_Can we have a rain check on that? I have a paper that's due tomorrow and I'm only halfway finished :(_

It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the truth either. I actually only had a paragraph more to write up before I would be able to print the essay.

This happened quite frequently, though I tried not to think about it: I'd make up excuses to not go out with him, and then feel guilty that I was clearly avoiding him and neglecting this relationship.

I was terrified to bring up the idea of breaking up. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't scared of his reaction, per se, but I was upset that I would technically be flushing four years of my life down the toilet.

Four years of Jake being nothing but kind and understanding of my needs, and me being completely submissive of his.

A deep frown etched across my face, and I had to force myself to shake it off. I finished up my coffee, saying a quick goodbye to Angela, and purposely avoiding the sight of the male model sitting at a table right near the door.

Once I made it outside, I mentally cheered and patted myself on the back for staying so strong, hugging my black tweed coat closer to myself as I crossed the road, following the nearby students to campus.

* * *

"What are you doing later?" Rosalie asked, scrolling through her phone as she finished the last of her lunch.

My faithful roommate of two years looked over at me briefly as I shrugged, "I have a paper to finish for class, but it shouldn't take too long. Why?"

Again, the shame hammered down on me, thinking back to turning down Jake's offer to hangout. Rather than continue to sulk about it, I simply resolved to make it up to him over the weekend. Maybe we'd go see a movie, or go out for dinner.

Both ideas seemed wholly unappealing to me, and again, for the wrong reasons. I would've loved to go see a movie, or have dinner, but not with Jacob. There was always an awkward tension whenever we hung out these days. I mean, things had always been slightly uncomfortable for me, but now, I was sure that it wasn't one-sided.

"Me and Alice were thinking of heading to the mall to do some shopping. I'm in desperate need of some new boots," her eyes widened as I assumed she thought back to her pair of leather boots that she'd had since beginning Dartmouth. After many trips through the rain, and muddy parks, and rocky roads, her shoes now looked quite battered.

And worn-out shoes were a no-no for Rosalie Hale, who was studying film and media along with Alice Brandon.

Alice, who was my roommate back when I'd been living in residents, always looked primped for a photo shoot. When second year had come rolling around, Alice had decided to move in with her boyfriend, Jasper Whitlock, at his apartment. He was a couple of years older than the group of us, having finished his undergrad degree already, and now back to undertake a degree in medicine.

I'd been wary of her decision to jump right into living with a guy she'd known for less than a year, but then again, I wasn't really an expert on good, healthy relationships. And Alice was kind of crazy that way, but Jasper balanced her out, so I guess that's why they're both still overwhelmingly in love with each other.

Jake, of course, had asked me to go apartment hunting with him around that time, but – of course – I'd declined his offer, blaming my decision on my father, who would probably blow a fuse if he realized that we were living together.

I mean, it was part of the reason. The other part was that I was not ready for what "living together" implied. It meant that we were serious about each other. And I didn't feel like we were. I still felt like we were in that rough dating period, and had never quite found our way out.

So, Rosalie and I decided to search for an apartment together, finding a cozy two-bedroom place that was a ten-minute walk from the university. It was perfect.

We decorated the entire place together, adding our own personal touch to everything, and I really felt homey whenever I walked into that place. I guess we'd succeeded in that aspect.

Floating back to reality, I remembered Rosalie's proposition, and I made a squeaking sound at the back of my throat, before managing out, "Um, I think I'll pass."

It wasn't that I didn't enjoy shopping, but I preferred moving to my own rhythm. With the two of them, I'd often get shuttled to store after store and buy clothes that I would probably only wear once, for a special occasion.

"Suit yourself," Rosalie pursed her lips as if I was missing out on some great escapade.

"Oh, and I meant to tell you, Alice finally got a new phone number," Rosalie began, pulling out her phone and probably scrolling through her contact list.

I'd almost forgotten about Alice's experience at someone's house party. She'd gotten so drunk that she hadn't noticed someone grab her purse off the couch. Jasper had been there with her, so she still had a means to get home and everything, but it was still an awful experience.

An experience that I'd completely missed out on because I was too busy watching 'Sherlock' on Netflix.

I slipped my phone out of my jean pocket, waiting as she began to call out the numbers, "678-999-023 – "

She broke off with a giggle, seeming to have suddenly received a text that was obviously very amusing.

Waiting for her to finish replying to whoever it was, I gently prodded, "And?"

Her cool gray eyes met mine in bewilderment, "And what?"

"You didn't give me the last digit."

Her eyebrows scrunched together, "Yes, I did. Three, wasn't it?"

I knew that she was probably confused so I clarified, "So, the last four digits are 0233?"

"Yeah, that's what I said, 0233." She went back to her phone, once again smiling at her text messages, as I shook my head.

I saved the number, just in case she had really given me the last digit, and I'd inadvertently missed it.

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**A/N: So, this was short. Nothing crazy, really. Just introductions. **

**But I'm really curious to see what you guys think of the Bella/Jacob relationship. I'm laughing because I told myself I'd never make them a couple, even if Bella's eventually going to wind up with Edward. **

**I think I'll do an Edward's point of view for the next chapter. And just to exaggerate the point, this is a Bella/Edward story, NOT Bella/Jacob. **

**I'm eager to read the reviews… kind of nervous as well…**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Xoxo  
LoveACullen **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay. WOW. The response for that first chapter was insaaaaane. There were so many alerts and favorites. I was blown away. **

**I totally understand that the reviews will be slow since this story is only now beginning, and I appreciate every single one I receive!**

**Thank you for reviewing: **_**sujari6, gi-freakazoid, michael . vandebroek, TwilighterSam1989, cbmorefie, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

**Anyway, I believe I promised an Edward's point of view, so here goes!**

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 2

Edward

Medical school. Besides the obvious grueling studies and countless lectures, I enjoyed it somewhat. I guess I'd always had a fascination with the field, since I'd grown up around a father who was a doctor.

Now, I was in my fourth and final year, on the peak of graduation, at 25. I'd been attending Dartmouth for four years, previously at Princeton where I earned an undergrad degree in Biochemistry.

I'll admit it right off the bat: I wasn't Mr. Popular.

Sure, I was pretty okay looking, and I was now on the verge of becoming an official doctor, but I wasn't one of those guys who showed off either area. I hadn't gotten into Princeton and Dartmouth by fooling around. I was focused, and a lot of people either loathed or admired that about me.

Now, that didn't mean that I didn't have any friends. I was close to a couple of people in my classes, but my best friend of four years was a guy that I'd met by chance on the first day of Dartmouth.

I had been confused and disoriented, and so had he, so it wasn't really a surprise when we'd quickly befriended each other. Emmett McCarty was a major in music production. He'd taken two gap years between high school and college where he gone from job to job, trying to figure out what his niche was. But when he'd eventually found it in music production, he'd immediately seized the opportunity of furthering his education on the topic.

After a well-written recommendation and a good enough transcript, he'd been shipped off to Dartmouth.

In general, he was the complete opposite of me. He was loud, but surprisingly not in an obnoxious way, as well as overly friendly and willing to help anyone in need. I tended to only offer my aid if someone looked completely distressed, or if they made the first move and asked me for help.

Looks were incredibly deceiving in Emmett's case, because while on the outside, he looked tough enough to beat any professional boxer to a pulp, his personality completely outshined that.

He'd helped me find my way through campus, to my dorms, which had been down the street from his own. And then, we'd met up later in the day to play Xbox at his place, much to the annoyance of his law-school roommate.

Needless to say, Emmett and I had remained close friends throughout my time at Dartmouth, which I was ultimately grateful for. Life as a medical student can be stressful, understandably, so it's important to have a friend who can instantly erase your mind and focus it on more important things like: who can fit more marshmallows into their mouth while saying "Chubby Bunny" without choking?

Anyway, Emmett was actually the reason I had even found myself entering a quaint café located five minutes away from campus. He'd found it after one of his many dates had introduced it to him, or something along those lines - the details were fuzzy. The important part was that I'd found myself ordering a cappuccino after I'd had an awful start to my morning.

Not only had I realized that I'd missed my 8:00am lecture after my alarm clock had failed to go off, but I'd also figured out that my coffee maker was out of commission.

I didn't necessarily have an addiction to coffee, but on an especially horrid morning such as this one, it was practically needed.

So, I'd found my way to the coffee place that Emmett had mentioned over a dozen times, walking through the door and immediately heading towards the counter. It took me less than a minute to decide what I wanted, and I politely thanked the friendly barista when she'd passed my drink over to me.

Like any other normal person, I took a look around the place, attempting to find an empty place to sit, only to find my eyes wandering across a brunette in a lonely corner of the room. Her lips were turned down in an adorable pout as she read a paperback book; only pausing to take small sips of her coffee. She couldn't have been more than 20, but she gave off a sense of maturity, even from afar.

I found myself smiling without really thinking about it, and before I could begin to feel like a complete creep, I quickly made a move for an empty seat close to the door of the café.

From then on, I only chanced quick glances towards her, as she flipped through her book, keeping that concentrated look on her face.

When she began to bookmark her page, getting up from her chair, I immediately looked down once again at my coffee, feeling stupid and childish for acting the way I was – looking over at a beautiful girl, too scared to man up and introduce myself. Or, even more boldly, ask if I could have a seat with her.

But, I was Edward Cullen. Quiet, reserved, Edward Cullen, who hadn't really done a whole lot of talking to girls in my lifetime.

It was an unfortunate realization that had struck me a few years back, in high school. Girls wanted me for the simple reason of being able to say that they had nabbed me. Personalities didn't matter. They just wanted someone they would be able to show off at parties like a trophy.

It was a game I wasn't willing to play, and still am not willing to play.

Life was too short for me to be stuck in a relationship with a girl who, whilst attractive on the outside, was a completely bore on the inside.

Which brought me back to this girl in the café: how did I know that she was any different from many of the girls I'd encountered previously?

She was currently clearing her table, and making a line for the exit, looking straight ahead, seeming to be uninterested in the world around her, only concerned on getting to the place that she needed to be.

I respected that about her. I enjoyed watching how peaceful and comfortable she seemed to be on her own. Most would be awkward and jerky, glancing around the room every five minutes to see if anyone was paying them any attention.

But not this girl.

My eyes followed her slim figure as she walked into the wintery New Hampshire air, hugging her body for a moment as she readjusted to the temperature change. Then, she crossed the street, walking to God-knows-where.

I assumed from her satchel that she was a college student, but then again, I didn't really know anything about this girl. And it was unlikely that I would ever find myself becoming close to this girl from my aforementioned track record.

For some reason, that thought bugged me a lot more than usual. I'd normally be able to get over the fact that I wasn't going to ask a girl out because the dates tended to go miserably. But, there was nagging thought at the back of my mind that kept growing, making me want to smack myself.

I simply sighed, shaking my head, and bringing the coffee mug up to my lips for one final sip. Rather than continue to let my mind wander back to her cascading mahogany hair and full-of-life brown eyes, not to mention her plump, pink lips – mind you, I was quite unnerved that I was thinking about her lips, but I couldn't help it – I focused on finding a transcript of the lecture I had missed, beginning to take notes.

* * *

"It's like you're not even trying to beat me," Emmett boomed, eyes focused on the screen as he clicked his controller, and I continued to do the same. Of course, his comment only fueled my annoyance that the game was not following in my favour, so I pounded on some more buttons, cheering when I finally made a goal and Emmett groaned.

He was still ahead of me by two points, but it was a small victory that I was willing to live with for now.

We paused the game after that, and I lounged back in my leather chair as Emmett did the same.

After my first year of living in residents, Emmett and I had decided to find a place together, since we'd enjoyed each other's company well enough so far. I knew that living with a person could make you begin to hate them, but in Emmett's case, he was never really overbearing. At least, not seriously.

I would joke about him being noisy and not cleaning up after himself, but I didn't truly mind. I could've lived with a lot worse.

We were currently chowing down on some Chinese take-out, taking breaks to retell jokes from throughout the day.

"I met this _babe_ the other day at Tyler's party. Like, smoking hot, blonde hair, super sarcastic but not in an annoying way. She's so cool, man. I think I might love her," Emmett's sigh was exaggerated and I scrunched my eyebrows together disbelievingly.

This was the same Emmett that couldn't stand to be with a girl for longer than a week, because it was around that time that he realized how clingy they'd turned out to be.

"O-kay," I muttered, continuing to shovel food into my mouth as his eyes seemed to glaze over.

"I don't think you understand how awesome she is. She's super smart, and witty, and just an all-around good time. She calls me out on my shit, which is different because no other girl has ever done that," Emmett's jaw went slack as he seemed to ponder this apparent game-changer.

I didn't even bother hiding my surprise.

If he really was serious about this girl, I was genuinely hoping that things panned out all right. He deserved to settle down with someone.

"Good for you, man," I nodded, as Emmett grinned, turning back to look down at his food.

"I think I'm gonna call her actually, and see if we can meet up later," Emmett said, more out of graciousness to me than anything.

When he eventually came back, a permanent smile was plastered across his face, and he waited for me to finish my meal before pressing "play" on the game.

So, I guessed she'd said "yes", then.

* * *

I was spinning lazily in my desk chair, highlighting some notes when my phone buzzed from on top of my desk.

Emmett had left a little after nine to go see his ladylove, and I had decided that I was in dire need of reorganizing my notes. It was now approaching eleven as I picked up my phone, not recognizing the number, and even more curious by the prompt of the message.

_Alice, do you know if Bridesmaids is any good? I've been meaning to watch a good comedy for the past few weeks, and I know you're the movie expert._

Something told me that this message was not meant for me. I mean, I did watch an unhealthy amount of movies, but my name – that I knew of – was not Alice.

I quickly shot back a reply, expecting a quick apology from that person, and then an end to a conversation:

**Uh, I think you have the wrong number. **

Instead of: "Oh, sorry about that. Thank you!", I got:

_Ha ha. Very funny, Alice. I know this is your new number. Rose gave it to me._

My eyebrows furrowed, and a light laugh escaped my lips at this person's odd belief that I was girl named Alice.

**Well, I believe "Rose" slipped you the wrong number, because my name isn't Alice, and I'm kind of offended that you don't believe that.**

Finally, a sensible reply came:

_Okay, you've officially succeeded in your goal of making me doubt that this is actually you, because I'm now extremely conscious of the fact that I may be talking to forty year-old man._

That last part wiped the smile off my face, and I quickly responded:

**You're on the right track of "man", but I'm not _that_ old. Do I type like an old man or something?**

It took a longer time to get a response out of her, and I soon realized why:

_I am EXTREMELY sorry for bothering you with my nonsensical accusations, especially so late at night._

_I had a feeling that my friend hadn't given me the correct number, but it's just like Alice to play silly jokes like this on me. I feel so bad - sorry!_

The normal thing to do was accept this girl's apology and go back to highlighting my course work, but so far, I was finding her quite humorous, and I decided to poke some more fun.

**Apology accepted. **

**You really did disturb my night, you know? I was going so well with my studies, and now that's just gone out of the window. **

I chuckled even whilst sending it, anticipating her reaction.

_Oh nooo! I'm sorry (again). I really hope you're joking because I'd hate to be a distraction from your work._

I was having way too much fun teasing this girl.

**And, something's still bugging me – what made you assume that I was forty?**

Her message in reply was equally as amusing as her last:

_I didn't mean it, I promise! I was just throwing out stereotypes, because I was still a little hopeful that I was talking to my friend and not a random student._

I cracked a smile, that her description of me was now a bit more accurate.

**No worries :)**

**And for the record: I've seen Bridesmaids, and it's pretty hilarious. You should definitely watch it. **

I got a response from her, and it was only after rereading it several times that I felt an odd sensation float through my body.

_Thank you so much! I'll let you know if it's up to my expectations :)_

That last line resounded in my mind. As in, she wasn't going to end the conversation just here. And there was a large part of me that was pretty excited about that.

There was always the possibility that I actually wasn't even talking to a girl but a trained pedophile, but I was content in the belief that I wasn't, enjoying this little back-and-forth banter, no matter how small and insignificant.

With Emmett and my other friends getting wrapped up in their respective love lives, I was kind of desperate for some entertainment.

With one final glance at my phone, I noted that I was still seeing her number scrawled at the top where her name was supposed to be. A grin swept across my face as I edited the name to "Bridesmaids Girl".

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**A/N: So, there goes your second chapter!**

**I really hope you guys enjoyed this one, because it's a bit of an introduction into what it is to come throughout this story. **

**Please continue to leave me some reviews, letting me know what you guys think so far! If you're enjoying it, or not.**

**Thank you soooo much for the lovely response so far, and I hope to not disappoint!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all of the alerts/favourites! Seriously, I'm incredibly grateful for all of the love. **

**And thank you to: **_**PinkSlytherin, misstresswillow, TriforceandShiekahArts, bexi (Guest), cbmorefie, catelynn (Guest), gi-freakazoid, michael . vandebroek, TwilighterSam1989, nicoleleecarter, S.P. Tripathi**_**, and **_**sujari 6**_**, for reviewing!**

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 3

Bella 

Following our lunch break off campus, Rose and I separated – her to go meet with Alice for their shopping spree, and me to attend my evening class.

I was pretty exhausted, having been up since the early hours of the morning finishing some work. Not to mention, my 10:00am lecture had been a complete bore, having been taught by one of the older professors on the verge of retirement.

Needless to say, when I'd double checked my schedule and realized that I didn't have any classes the next day, I'd decided that after my last lecture, I would load up Netflix and finally get around to watching all of the movies that I'd always planned to watch but never did.

Top of my list was _Bridesmaids_, but I was a bit wary of the movie, having heard a mix of reviews – both rave and rotten.

Since Alice was a film major, she spent a great deal of time watching movies and critiquing them. So did Rose, but I always felt like her expectations were much too high, and she was therefore always disappointed with new-age movies. Alice was more of a happy medium, and I trusted her opinion.

As I sat down in the roomy theatre, filled with rows and rows of seats that were slowly being filled, Jessica Stanley reached down to tap me on the shoulder.

"Hey, did you hear about Eric Yorkie?" if you wanted dirt on anyone, the gossip source here on campus was Jessica.

I didn't know how – maybe she paid people lurking around the grounds to spy for her - but the information she received was almost always accurate.

Unfortunately for her, I wasn't interested in hearing about the misadventures of Eric Yorkie, so my response after hearing how he had drunkenly set his apartment building on fire had been less than enthusiastic.

I tried to be kind to her - if only for the fact that I didn't want any nasty rumors spreading about me - but the chatterbox made it difficult.

I tuned her out by replying to some of the e-mails sent to me from each of my parents.

While my mom was living happily in Arizona with her new beau, my father remained alone in dreary old Forks. I was making plans to return to the small town in Washington for the majority of Spring break, leaving the rest of the time to visit my mom.

Finally, Jessica's voice dulled down to a whisper as our youngish lecturer walked into the room looking relatively cheerful as he began to speak in depth about the sociological writings of Emile Durkheim. I pulled up a blank Word document and took notes.

While the class was relatively interesting, the main thing keeping me going was my giant flat screen TV at home, waiting for me to watch a multitude of films until my brain turned to mush.

* * *

As soon as I opened up the door to my shared apartment, I felt the weight of the world lift off my shoulders, walking into my room and dropping my messenger bag onto the desk chair.

I subsequently raided the fridge looking for ingredients that would create a pot of lasagna, finding and snacking on a couple of cookies that Rose and I had baked the night before. Chocolate chip oatmeal. _Yum_.

Cooking had been a necessary trait to develop after living with my father on a permanent basis in my last year of high school. I'd realized during my visits to his quaint, rural house that he lacked valuable cooking skills, and therefore always relied on food from the diner, or meals from the frozen food section to keep him alive.

When I'd decided to live in Forks, I'd ensured that he always had home-cooked meals every single day, and even after leaving Forks, I'd made a deal with Sue Clearwater to have her and her kids drive down every weekend to drop off fresh dishes for Charlie to eat during the week. After the death of her own husband, she had admitted to me that she enjoyed having someone else to look after.

When I finally concocted the pasta dish, utilizing a lot of vegetables since some were on the threshold of expiry, I smoothly stuck it into the preheated oven, deciding that I would take a shower since it was already approaching nine o'clock.

* * *

Between taking the lasagna out of the oven and waiting for it to cool, reading over my notes from class, and subsequently watching two episodes of _Modern Family_, just under two hours had flown by.

I was now heading into the living room after grabbing myself a glass of water, setting it down on the coffee table in the middle of all of the seats.

Our living room was an open, carpeted space furnished simply with two couches and a beanbag surrounding a small table, and a mounted TV. My choice of seat was almost always the large, grey beanbag that Rosalie had only picked up after noting that it matched the color scheme of our apartment.

Figuring that I'd wasted enough time already, I was ready to get down to business and finally text Alice about _Bridesmaids._

When Rose had initially given me Alice's new cell number, I'd been a bit skeptical that she had actually given me the correct last digit. All of her flirty texting to I-don't-know-who had obviously been a bit sidetracking, but anyway, there wouldn't be any harm in sending a message to the number and finding out.

_Alice, do you know if Bridesmaids is any good? I've been meaning to watch a good comedy for the past few weeks, and I know you're the movie expert. _

While I glanced towards the TV, going onto my Netflix account, my phone buzzed from on top of me. Not particularly startled that she had responded so quickly, I opened the message, reading:

**Uh, I think you have the wrong number. **

I deflated. Momentarily, that is.

Because then my eyes narrowed in thought. I didn't know what it was about the phrasing that made me feel like this was, in fact, Alice, and she was just trying to engage me in one of her many elaborate pranks. But I had a glimmer of suspicion that it _was_, and so, I messaged back:

_Ha ha. Very funny, Alice. I know this is your new number. Rose gave it to me. _

So there was a bit of doubt raging inside of me now, but I knew that if this were truly Alice, she would give up the charade after hearing that I had legitimately gotten her new number from a good source.

**Well, I believe "Rose" slipped you the wrong number, because my name isn't Alice, and I'm kind of offended that you don't believe that.**

So, _that_ hadn't been the response I was looking for.

Now, I sat up in my beanbag, feeling queasy as I reread every line of our conversation, now extremely uncertain that this person really was Alice. What if I was talking to a middle-aged man?

With one last sliver of hope, I typed out:

_Okay, you've officially succeeded in your goal of making me doubt that this is actually you, because I'm now extremely conscious of the fact that I may be talking to a forty year-old man. _

I kept my fingers crossed for a response like: " HAHAHAHA GOTCHA! :P", so when an entirely different reply came, I was ready to crawl into a hole:

**You're on the right track of "man", but I'm not**_** that**_** old. Do I type like an old man or something?**

And just as if this message back wasn't bad enough, I was doubly made aware of my horrible mistake when my phone buzzed, and another message popped up, from the same exact number as the one I'd been messaging – save for the last digit.

BELLA! I told Rose to give you my new number, but apparently she didn't. Or, if she did, you were too lame to send me a message letting me know you'd gotten it!

Great. _Great_. I had been messaging a guy, acting like a complete lunatic, at – I glanced at the time – eleven o'clock at night. What to do, what to do?

After saving Alice's correct number into my contacts, I began to think of possible ways to make up for possible offending this guy.

Oh right, apologize profusely for being such a huge nuisance, and provide him with a decent enough explanation that would ease his obvious worries that I was a psychiatric patient.

_I am EXTREMELY sorry for bothering you with my nonsensical accusations, especially so late at night. _

_I had a feeling that my friend hadn't given me the correct number, but it's just like Alice to play silly jokes like this on me. I feel so bad - sorry!_

I expected an end to the conversation right there, expected him to laugh it off, or say that it wasn't a problem, wishing me a good night. Which is why it surprised me when this message came instead:

**Apology accepted. **

**You really did disturb my night, you know? I was going so well with my studies, and now that's just gone out of the window. **

My face turned red, and again apologies were typed out, as I now felt awful that I had been bothering a college student like myself. What if he had an important exam the next day and now he couldn't finish studying?

Even though part of me had a feeling that he was teasing me – hoped that he was only teasing me - I still apologized for the sake of apologizing:

_Oh nooo! I'm sorry (again). I really hope you're joking because I'd hate to be a distraction from your work. _

As if that wasn't bad enough, another message soon popped up that had me equally as mortified as the last one. This guy was on a roll in making me embarrassed:

**And, something's still bugging me – what made you assume that I was forty?**

I had obviously offended this stranger by throwing out my (ridiculous) assumptions, and I could only attempt to perform some sort of damage control:

_I didn't mean it, I promise! I was just throwing out stereotypes, because I was still a little hopeful that I was talking to my friend and not a random student_. 

My foot tapped against the carpet as I waited for a response, and when it eventually came, I breathed a sigh of relief, actually feeling my entire body relax:

**No worries :)**

**And for the record: I've seen Bridesmaids, and it's pretty hilarious. You should definitely watch it. **

I honestly hadn't expected that he would even answer my initial question, but I was pretty grateful that he hadn't brushed me off completely.

_Thank you so much! I'll let you know if it's up to my expectations :)_

I had no idea why I ended up typing that last part out.

Actually, I did: it just felt like I hadn't experienced this much excitement in my life for a while now, and I didn't quite want it to end here. I enjoyed having this guy poke harmless fun at me, because most people were always so careful around me due to my shyness. This guy had me on edge - in a good way, if that's possible.

I laughed a little after glancing up at the contact screen and realizing that I still had his number saved under "Alice".

Clicking 'edit', I changed the name to "Young Man", figuring that I would be able to immediately identify who it was. He had, after all, been particularly offended that I'd thought him to be old, and now, there would be no further confusion.

And, taking his advice, I grabbed a blanket off the couch, snuggling up as I set up _Bridesmaids _and pressed 'play'.

* * *

Getting up the next morning was a slow and lazy process. Once I was fully aware that I was no longer in dreamland, I began blinking my eyes open. Then, I sighed, turning over, but still remaining in bed.

Only when my stomach began protesting that it was in dire need of some breakfast – or lunch, I hadn't yet checked the time – did I groan, getting out from under the sheets.

Rosalie had arrived home halfway through the second and final movie I'd watched (_Ferris Bueller's Day Off_, if you're curious) so it wasn't too great of a shock when I peeked through her room to see her still sound asleep. Rose was the kind of person who slept ten hours a day, so she would probably be asleep until three in the afternoon.

From picking up my phone off the charger, I gathered that it was noon. Funnily enough, it was only after answering some messages that I reeled, remembering the text message mishap last night. I'd almost felt like it had all been a strangely amusing dream.

I still wanted to smack myself for being such an idiot, but my desire to message Young Man ultimately ruled out my feelings of being an embarrassment to society.

…_I watched Bridesmaids last night, and I actually cried laughing. Then I watched another movie, so I ended up in bed at three in the morning :) such a wonderful way to spend a free day. _

I figured Young Man would probably be doing college-related things, since he seemed quite diligent in his studies, so I didn't wait for a reply. Since I had this lovely day off, I figured I would shower and get dressed, head over to the café, and then finally attempt to talk to Jacob.

I had been avoiding him long enough, and I had a thought in my mind that once I saw him and hung out with him, I'd be able to make a decision on whether I was going to end things, or try to work it out.

There was a feeling in my gut that was telling me that I should just break things off now, and not wait, because there was a chance that the relationship could get messy, but guiltily, I pushed it down.

* * *

Once dressed in a white collared shirt under a light grey pullover, with a pair of dark-washed skinny jeans and ballet flats, I checked my phone, about to send Jacob a message.

A text from Young Man appeared in my line of vision:

**I'm really glad you liked it as much as I did. I watched it in the movie theatre, and at one point, I was laughing so hard that the woman in front of me turned around to check that I was mentally stable. Not my finest moment… **

**I'm guessing you're in college as well? Yeah, those free days are God sent.**

I almost laughed out loud, and had to suppress my giggles so as to not wake up Rosalie. That description of him in the movie theatre was so vivid, and I could definitely picture it happening to me as well.

_Lol did that really happen? :'D A woman gave you a hard look because you were laughing while watching a_ comedy_?!__Does she not understand the concept of a comedy?_

_Yuuup, college student as of three years now :) and yourself?_

I figured that once I was being quite vague about where I was going to school, and what I was studying, I would be safe in case Young Man was a stalker – even though I couldn't imagine him as one, I still didn't want to be stupid and give out a bunch of information about myself.

Once grabbing my coat and my purse, I headed out the door, shutting it quietly behind me so as to not rouse Rosalie from her sleep. I really wouldn't want to be the cause of her anger.

I was thankful that the walk to the café from our apartment wasn't too long since the February weather in New Hampshire could make you feel like the air was compressing your lungs.

It always felt literally like a breath of fresh air once I stepped foot in the small shop smelling of coffee, rubbing my hands together as I approached the counter and repeated my order from the day before. This time, I added a blueberry muffin into the mix.

Once grabbing my stuff, I once again searched for an empty seat in a quiet enough corner, away from any loud, chatty people. Breakfast just wasn't a time when I was most sociable.

I still hadn't texted Jacob as yet, so I finally asked if it would be all right if we met at his place for dinner. All the while, I continue to nibble on my muffin, waiting on a reply from Young Man.

It's an odd sensation – the feeling of someone watching you – but I knew that someone's eyes were definitely on me. So, trying to be as subtle as possible, I glanced around the room, settling on a girl who, upon further inspection was really just staring off into space.

Maybe that had been the feeling?

A flicker of unusually coloured hair prevented me from looking back down at my phone, and my eyes settled on the same gorgeous guy that I'd first seen only yesterday.

He, too, was on his phone while seated at a table, and although I knew I should've looked away, I found myself finally getting a chance to admire him from afar.

His hair was a mess, but it didn't seem to be styled that way. Rather, it looked to be untamable. I'd seen him smile the day before, but it had been a polite one, reserved for cashiers and people in the service sector.

Now, he was genuinely smiling – not a full-on, teeth showing smile – but a happy smile nonetheless. I guessed whatever message or story he was reading on his phone was quite comical. Since his eyes were peering down, I couldn't gather the full effect of them. I believed they were green, a kind of dark emerald green.

He was dressed in a black sweater, which I assumed had been pulled over a t-shirt, and jeans. His shoes were shiny black loafers, and all of this led me to assume that his job, or field of study made him dress quite smartly.

Law student?

I internally made a face, unable to fathom him in the courthouse, yelling out a defense.

Even though I could picture him in a suit.

I could definitely picture him in a suit.

Model?

Highly likely.

Just then, he looked up, almost at the same time that my phone buzzed, saving me from a terribly awkward moment with the handsome stranger.

**Believe me, the way she had stared at me, I felt completely in the wrong for laughing during the movie. **

**Aww, still a kid? What does that make you, 21? I finished a Bachelor's degree four years ago, and I'm currently in my last year of college. For me, it's been about 8 years. **

So he was definitely older than me by a couple of years, but I had sensed that.

Of course, I couldn't quite get passed his comment. I had always found it extremely irritating as a child to be called a little kid, so Young Man's comment had me a little riled up. I playfully responded:

_Okay, excuse me… I am by all means NOT a kid. Yes, I'm 21, legal to drink and do all kinds of stuff that kids can't do. _

_That's a lot of years of studying… so what does that make you? 40?_

I let a light laugh escape, and I tried to compose myself, knowing that I would get a few odd stares. Taking a few deep breaths, I went to drink my coffee, having to wait no longer than a minute to get a response from him.

**Alright… sensitive topic, I see. Fine, fine. You're not a kid. You're a legal adult. Happy? **

**It's too soon to make jokes like that… too soon :( I'm almost 26, actually. Not quite 40 as yet.**

**What are you doing on this fine, wintry day?**

And so, our back and forth banter continued, and I became so wrapped up in all of it that I completely missed Jacob's message stating that he had class in an hour, but after that, he was free.

Just like that, my good mood from chatting with Young Man went spiraling downwards.

I was certain that this wasn't how girlfriends were supposed to feel about their boyfriends.

Was it just because I'd gotten so used to Jacob?

After a moment's deluberation, I couldn't believe that it was. Things had always been weird for me - I'd just learned to conceal it.

So, the ultimate question was: when was I going to get the guts to break up with him?

* * *

**A/N: Since this chapter started out as more informative than interesting, I decided to keep writing until I was satisfied that there were just enough elements in there to entertain. **

**How was it? Did it meet your expectations? Leave me your thoughts and/or favorite scenes in a review :) **

**I can't even explain how happy it makes me to read reviews from you guys. Thank you!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so so much for all of the recent alerts &amp; faves!**

**And thank you to these wonderful people for reviewing: **_**lovinmich, Exceptionaldork, Hyoyeon (Guest), brebre99, michael . vandebroek, S.P. Tripathi, TriforceandSheikahArts, gi-freakazoid, cbmorefie, Monyetta, Mrs. Spiderman Penguin, TwilighterSam1989, sujari6**_**, **_**PinkSlytherin, **_**and 1 **_**Guest**_**. **

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 4

Bella 

My heartbeat hammered in my chest as I wrung my hands together, before finally, I took a deep breath.

Giving a gentle knock on his apartment door, I waited until I could hear the sound of footsteps thundering across the floor, before the door finally swung open.

"Hey," Jacob greeted me, an all-too-eager smile plastered across his face as he pulled me into an unwanted hug.

He smelled like a mixture of oak and vanilla, an otherwise pleasant smell if I hadn't grown to feel discomfort every time it wafted towards me.

_Stop it, Bella, _I chided myself. I'd come here to try to make up for all of the avoided phone calls, the unread messages, and my blasé behavior towards him.

Mainly, I'd come over here because I'd felt guilty that I was finding myself having more amusing conversations with a guy I'd accidentally texted.

Jake was an attractive guy – tall, tan, with cropped black hair and equally dark eyes. Extremely built. It wasn't a surprise that I often caught many girls drooling over him. What surprised me was how casual I remained about it.

I was never jealous, much to the irritation of Jacob, who always found it disturbing when he noticed other guys checking me out.

I shoved those thoughts down once more, resolving that I would make an effort to be nicer to him, try to see if I could find it in me – _at all _– to discover some kind of attraction or affinity for him. This was the whole point of my coming over here: to see if this relationship could be saved or not.

"Hey, Jake," I greeted back, plastering a smile on my face as I made my way inside the apartment, which was decorated in the manliest way one could think possible. There was a deer head mounted in the living room – tribute to Jacob's many hunting adventures as a child.

In the living room as well, lay a pile of various car magazines sat on top of a black coffee table, in front of a matching leather loveseat.

Dinner in the form of Chinese take-out was laid out on the kitchen table, and I tried to push away my disgust at the many dirty dishes laying in the sink, as well as the overflowing rubbish can.

I knew that one look at Jake's bedroom would have me running for the streets, already picturing the dirty clothes strewn haphazardly around the place.

Wordlessly, I grabbed a clean plate, already feeling my so-called plan falling to pieces.

* * *

We sat side by side on the couch, close together, but not close enough to touch. The TV was switched onto the sports channel, and once again, I pretended to be interested in the events occurring on the screen.

"So, how have your classes been going?" I almost cringed upon hearing the question come out of his mouth during a break in the show.

Not that I blamed him for the conversation starter, seeing as there wasn't truly anything else we could talk about without the other wanting to snooze off. Books, movies, music – we both had completely different taste in all of them.

After a few conversations with Young Man, finding strange little similarities between the two of us, the contrast between Jacob and myself was now appearing to be a lot clearer.

Once again, the guilt rushed back into my system. It wasn't like I was cheating on Jacob or anything. It was harmless conversation with a stranger, after all. But it still felt like _something_ to me, and I wasn't sure it was morally right for me to be finding more interest in Young Man than my own boyfriend.

"Oh, you know. It's been alright. Lots of papers to do before I go on break," I shrugged, telling the truth, finally.

"Right," he smiled, but it looked forced.

It occurred to me then, that what I was feeling wasn't one-sided, like I had initially assumed it was. I wondered why Jacob hadn't yet made a move to talk about the undeniable awkward tension between us. Maybe for the same reasons as me?

After we had both cleared our plates, back on the loveseat, Jacob leaned a bit closer into me, and I resisted my urge to pull away.

But then, his hand rested on my thigh as he shifted his body so that his lips were able to press to my neck, and even though he was my boyfriend, and this is what boyfriends normally do with their girlfriends, I pulled away sharply.

He sighed deeply, "You know that I love you, Bella."

I felt so incredibly sick to my stomach; I couldn't even look at him.

He'd been talking like this for the past year. I guess he was getting tired of waiting on me to be ready for… _that_. I still wasn't, and I was getting tired of him trying to pressure me into it.

"Love doesn't give you the permission to do whatever you want with me," I got out, my voice an octave higher than I would've liked it to be.

I stood, the words bubbling to the surface now, "I can't do this."

Now that I had started, I couldn't very well leave it at that.

I had to finish, and surprisingly, the beginning had been the hardest part of this entire speech, "We've grown apart. You know it, and I know it. We're different people than we were in high school, and we obviously want different things. I should've done this sooner, but I just didn't have the guts until now," I looked straight at him.

His eyes were widening as he finally realized where I was going with this.

I wanted to say so much more. I wanted to explain how long I'd felt this way – probably since the beginning of our relationship, in fact – but it would only hurt him more than was necessary.

"Bella, look I'm sorry for doing that. But I just don't know how to act around you anymore. I want to kiss you, but you don't ever want to kiss me. I'm sorry, if you need space, I'll give you that. But you don't have to take this to such an extreme."

I shook my head as he spoke, and I held back the urge to slap him for making this all about me, "This isn't about that. I just think it's unfair for both of us to be weighed down in this relationship when we clearly don't have feelings for each other anymore. I want us to be able to see other people and not feel bad about it."

"Is _that_ what this is about? You want to see other people?" there was the jealousy again, sparking in his dark eyes.

I wanted to pull my hair out. He was grasping onto the most insignificant of words. I wished he would understand the bigger picture – that I didn't want to be in this relationship anymore, and apparently, neither did he.

"No," I said, exasperated now. "I'm sorry, Jacob. But I just don't want to be your girlfriend anymore."

There. I had said it.

And it was done. There was no possible way that he could misinterpret _that_.

* * *

After I'd dropped that bombshell on Jacob, I'd walked out of the apartment, closing the door with a bit more force than was necessary, walking down the stairs and out of the building. Into freedom.

The sky was bluer than ever, and currently, a lone white cloud was hovering over the sun, shielding the brightness from my eyes.

I walked a couple of blocks down, forcing all thoughts out of my head, focusing solely on my steps on the pavement, and the slow trail of pedestrians moving in the same direction.

I desperately needed someone to talk to, and I knew that by this time, Rosalie would be awake, watching TV whilst lounging on the couch.

I was breathless and exhausted by the time I made it to our door, slipping in my key, and walking inside to see the sight I had already pictured: Rose, sitting on the chesterfield, eating a bowl of cereal as she watched an episode of "Friends".

She set the bowl down, right after she'd heard me enter, taking one look at my appearance and racing to envelop me in a comforting hug.

I didn't think that I had looked that bad, and maybe I didn't. But after three years, Rose had learned to read my facial expression with little to no effort.

I didn't cry over losing Jacob, because I'd never really wanted him to begin with, but after feeling her rub my back soothingly, I let out a few tears, finally letting the situation sink in. I had ended my relationship of four year – a relationship that hadn't felt like a relationship to begin with.

"What happened, sweetie?" Rosalie pulled away, as I sniffled a little, wiping my eyes, hating the feeling of crying, even if it was just Rose.

I looked up at her, letting the words flow out of me, "I broke up with Jacob."

Rather than see surprise colour her features, I saw resignation, which made my eyebrows rise, "Aren't you going to ask me why?"

But it felt like a stupid question even after the words left me, and I already expected her answer before it even came.

"No, because I know you, and I always knew that you deserved better," she said seriously, touching my cheek in such a motherly way, and it was just the way she said it that pushed me over the edge. And finally, the real tears came, and I sobbed for who-knows-how-long, angry with myself for pretending to like Jacob, angry with myself for not ending things sooner, emotional that Rose thought so highly of me.

"Shh," she cooed, rubbing my back, calming me down, knowing just what to say to make me feel a lot better.

"Do you want some hot chocolate? We can watch a movie, if you'd like. Invite Alice over," Rosalie threw out some suggestions, all of which sounded extremely appealing right about now.

Usually, I'd want nothing more than to be by myself, but I knew that having that mindset wasn't healthy. And I needed my friends to cheer me up, and make me feel better about myself after that whole debacle with Jacob. The whole encounter still had me on edge.

And the more I began to think about it, the more I began to realize what a douche he was about the entire ordeal. I was attempting to be civil, but of course, he couldn't have that. He was acting as if I was breaking up with him for the sole purpose of finding someone else.

Like who? The only guys in my life were Jacob and Jasper, and technically Young Man.

At least I'd had the decency to break up with him before seeing someone else. Couldn't he appreciate that?

Rosalie broke me out of my reverie by placing a steaming cup of hot chocolate into my grasp, instantly making my insides feel warm as I took a tentative sip.

"So what do you wanna watch?" she questioned, flipping through the movie titles, and as the remote hovered across one in particular, we both shared a look.

"Yes, please," I nodded my assent at _The Sound of Music. _That movie was the perfect remedy for any kind of sadness, filled with one of my favorite musical soundtracks of all time.

The polite thing to do was wait on Alice, so we did. And whilst finishing the last few gulps of my hot chocolate, I decided to change into something more comfortable, as I heard a knock at the door.

I could hear whispering through the doorway of my room as I changed into an oversized grey t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were talking about, and rather than walk in on the middle of the conversation, I made a show to made my entrance into the living quite obvious, shutting the two of them up.

Alice seemed to be gauging my expression, waiting for me to spontaneously burst into tears, and in answer to that, I stated simply, "I've cried enough."

A proud smile swept across her face; probably because she thought that I was being strong for them.

Really and truly, I couldn't cry more even if I wanted to - which I didn't.

As her eyes moved across the immaculate living room, they focused on the TV, which was still highlighted on the preview for _The Sound of Music. _I blocked my ears in anticipation for the excited squeal, which came, accompanied by the eager clapping and bouncing.

"What a classic. Good choice, guys," Alice grinned, making herself comfortable on the recliner, while I took my place in the beanbag, and Rosalie settled on the large sofa.

* * *

_The Sound of Music _hadn't disappointed. I sincerely believed that the movie only got better after every watch.

Only after the closing song did I feel my phone vibrate from inside my sweatpants pocket. I'd been so preoccupied with the day's events that I hadn't had the time to check my phone for any messages from Young Man.

I hadn't yet told Rosalie or Alice about the text message mishap, seeing as there hadn't really been time. Between going for coffee this afternoon, and breaking up with Jacob in the evening, my day had been pretty eventful.

I silently marveled that it had been less than a day since I'd messaged Young Man on false pretenses that he was Alice. I guess it was because we were constantly going back and forth, so it made me feel as if I'd been texting him for weeks, rather than a single day.

I was attempting to be rather inconspicuous about the whole thing as Alice and Rosalie babbled on about a movie premier for some popular romance film. The only people I ever really talked to via text were Alice, Rosalie, Jacob – I guess, not anymore - and two friends from class.

So they'd obviously be curious to notice me texting someone who wasn't any of them.

I couldn't conceal my excitement when a message popped up:

**Are you still awake?**

_Maybe. _

His response, in turn, only made my cheeky smile widen:

**Oh, well, in that case, I guess I'll go… Even though I had something very important and life changing to tell you. **

His text definitely peaked my interest:

_Okay, I'm awake. I'm awake. What's the big news? Not going to lie, I'm pretty excited. _

It took a longer time to get a response out of Young Man:

… **Oh. Sorry. I don't actually have any exciting news. I just wanted to get your attention ;)**

My eyes narrowed, before they rolled, and a small smile broke out across my face.

Of course, that had been my mistake – to let my amusement show. Because in the next minute, Alice was snatching my phone out of my hand.

"What is so interesting on your phone that you can't bother to pay attention to us?" Alice smirked, running away with her little pixie legs as I finally snapped out of my shock, racing to my room, and missing her a split second after she had locked herself in it.

I closed my eyes, already anticipating what was coming.

Less than a ten seconds later, I was hearing, "Oh my GOD! Bella, I can't – hahahaha – believe – hahahaha," she was struggling to keep her laughter under control.

And then she sobered up, apparently continuing to read further on into the conversation, "Okay, well this is disappointing."

She unlocked the door, passing the phone back to me, "I was really expecting some dirty messages. And I find myself reading a conversation that sounds a lot like two teenagers who are trying to figure out how to flirt with one another."

"Alice," I yelped, my face burning up, as Rosalie came up from behind me, grabbing my phone out of my grasp to find out what all of the fuss was about.

At first, she began to laugh, "Oh, classic Bella. Making a fool out of herself unintentionally."

Then, she sobered up, and her expression softened to a small smile, "This is cute. Yeah, I can definitely see what you're saying about two teenagers texting."

"So you have no idea who you're even talking to?" Rosalie continued, this time, seriously looking at me.

I only shrugged, "Not a clue. All I know is that he probably lives in the area, but otherwise, nothing."

"Do you think he's hot?" Alice grinned, as a light blush painted my cheeks.

As hard as it was to admit, I _had_ given some thought into what I envisioned Young Man looking like. Although the features were pretty blurry, I imagined him being very tall, and lean. Nice eyes. I definitely picture him having gorgeous eyes.

I quickly shook myself out of it.

I was not developing a _crush_ of all things on a guy that I didn't even know in real life. Heck, I didn't even know his real name!

"It doesn't matter, because he's just a casual acquaintance, if anything. Interesting to talk to. Nothing more," I ended with a hint of finality leaking into my voice.

Both Alice and Rosalie looked reluctant to let it drop, wanting to hear a little more, obviously entertained that I was having full-on conversation with a complete stranger on my phone.

And once both of them called it a night, giving me hugs before they went to their respective beds – Alice was spending the night over by us, sleeping on the pullout couch – I once again whipped out my phone, typing in a reply.

_Sorry about that! My friends stole my phone and asked me all about this... I don't even know what to call this. Friendship? I do feel like I can call you a friend, seeing as I've already embarrassed myself in front of you, and that's a key factor of becoming a friend of mine. _

_It's really weird, and I don't want to freak you out by admitting this, but I really enjoy talking to you. I've had the longest day in the history of days today, and talking to you kind of takes my mind off that. _

I was extremely hesitant to press 'Send', but I figured that I wouldn't be doing any harm. I didn't actually know the guy in person, so if he didn't reply, things wouldn't really be awkward. And if he did…

Just then, my phone buzzed:

**I'm picturing my roommate reading through my conversation with you, and… well, let's just say, he'd make weird assumptions about us that I do not want to repeat because I respect you. **

**You're not freaking me out. In fact, I pretty much feel the same way. I don't really have much going on in my life besides school, but it stresses me out, and talking to you is really mellow. I don't know, you just seem like a cool girl. **

A smile took form on my face, as I tried to lighten the mood of the conversation:

_Thank you. _

_And, I'm not even going to ask what you mean by "weird assumptions". My friends were actually quite disappointed in the nature of our conversations. I think they were expecting something raunchier lol._

I laughed, picturing his expression as he read the message. He certainly didn't disappoint.

**Yeah... don't. **

**Disappointed?! Are you joking? We have the most interesting conversations ever. Hey, remember today, when I told you about that time an old man was checking me out on the bus? **_**That**_** was pretty raunchy!**

I almost lost it right then, having to cover my mouth to fight the giggles at the memory of the conversation. Apparently, he'd had his headphones in, just casually standing and holding onto the passenger handles of the bus.

And then all of a sudden, he'd felt someone staring at him from behind, only to realize that it was an old man – who had been staring at his behind.

Hey, maybe that's why he had been so uncomfortable with being thought of as an old man.

As the night pressed on, I learned that Young Man's roommate was pretty rowdy and stayed up until all hours of the night. He was a major in music, so he always blasted his new productions whenever he felt like it, which both annoyed and entertained Young Man.

In turn, I told him all about Rose and Alice, and how both were planning on getting into the film industry. I explained that I was the complete opposite, and was getting a boring old degree, and planned to have a career that was associated with children.

Again, I was attempting to be elusive, but the more I talked to Young Man, the more I wanted to tell him all about my dreams in life. How I wanted to be a social worker, helping vulnerable kids find better, healthier homes.

But there was a line that I didn't want to cross, mainly because he hadn't crossed it either. It was a fine line, but it was still there.

Young Man and I were comfortable speaking about the events of our day – leaving out specific place names of course – and describing our friends. We spoke of our interests, but we didn't speak about family, or other important relationships.

Maybe we would, eventually. But for now, I was willing to take what I could get out of this. Whatever _this_ was.

* * *

**A/N: I've been on a roll lately with these updates, I'm afraid that I might break this whole two-updates-a-week thing because of all of the recent work that's been loaded on me. BUT, I don't know yet. **

**And rest assured, I would not leave you guys hanging for more than a week (two weeks, tops). Anyway, in the meantime, please feel free to leave me your thoughts on this chapter :)**

**Originally, I hadn't even planned for Bella to end things with Jacob (not for another two chapters at least), but then the writing just flowed, and I decided to go with it. Did you like it? Not really?**

**Thank you!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: First off, thank you for the ridiculous amount of follows and favourites!**

**Also… thanks for over 50 reviews! I'm kind of in shock, to be honest. **

**These people were completely awesome for reviewing: **_**Dawn276, cbmorefie, coasted, Exceptionaldork, TriforceandSheikahArts, S.P. Tripathi, CakeGirl74, jansails, Monyetta, , brebre99, michael . vandebroek, TwilighterSam1989, sujari6, lovinmich, Mrs. Spiderman Penguin, gi-freakazoid, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

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Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

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Chapter 5

Bella

"Bella, I need your help!" Alice yelled from just outside my room, as I startled awake, almost flinging my phone off the bed.

Two weeks had now passed since the break-up with Jacob - and I guess, since I'd began messaging Young Man - and I'd fallen into a routine of sorts.

I'd have my usual vanilla latte at the café before heading off to classes, and at the end of the day, I'd share the exciting details (if any) with Young Man. Sometimes, he'd message me during class; other times, I'd reply when _he_ was in class. But either way, neither of us ever minded.

In fact, that was the reason I'd fallen asleep with my phone in my hand in the first place – I'd once again gotten wrapped up in one of my many chats with Young Man.

Checking my clock, I noted that it was still relatively early in the morning: only 8:00am.

I had a lecture to attend in two hours, but I'd have ample time to get dressed and make myself a delicious breakfast.

Unless, of course, Alice ended up taking most of that time up with whatever she needed my help with. Which was highly likely.

What was Alice even doing here?

Rubbing my eyes, I swiped the sheets off of myself, tying my hair up into a messy bun as I opened the frosted glass bedroom door, into the living room, which led straight into the kitchenette.

"Yes?" I asked, folding my arms as I watched the black-haired pixie rummage through the cupboards, pumping her fists when she apparently found the flour.

"You're supposed to help me bake a cake from scratch," Alice insisted, as I continued to give her a blank look, trying to search my brain for the reasons as to why we were baking a cake, of all things.

"For Jasper's birthday…" she spoke slowly, as my memory finally snapped into place, and my mouth formed into an 'o' shape. I snapped my fingers like "Oh, I gotcha", as a smile took form on my face.

I hadn't completely forgotten Jasper's birthday – I mean, I'd already bought his gift and everything – but with Alice around, I hadn't really put his birthday on my calendar, seeing as she was a constant reminder of things like that.

"So why do you need my help?" I said, putting on a poker face as her radiant expression immediately dulled.

"C'mon Bella, do I really have to say it?" she pouted, and a grin took form on my face. I simply shook my head, taking out the sugar and the other necessary ingredients in order to make the red velvet cake that was apparently her boyfriend's favorite.

As much as she was brilliant at party planning and hosting, and making everyone feel as welcome as possible, she was an absolute disaster in the kitchen – and this was putting it lightly. Rose wasn't _as_ terrible, but her problem was that she didn't enjoy cooking, or preparing food of any sort, at all.

Which is why I was always delegated to preparing meals and such, and oddly enough, I didn't mind.

It made me feel like I had a great purpose, or something like that.

"Wait, how do I preheat the oven?" Alice asked, staring confusedly at the metal contraption, as I bit back a laugh. She'd probably been over at my place over a hundred times, and I'd frequently used the oven during those times, which was pretty simple to work.

Anyway, I much preferred when she asked for help and didn't go about doing a job that she had no experience in by herself. I feared the one time I'd leave Alice in the kitchen alone, and come back to find a kitchen in ruins.

Pressing the buttons on the heating device, I made sure the oven was preheated to 350 degrees before going back to the mixing, finally seeing the cake batter coming together and having the consistency and color that I wanted.

Alice, all too eager, made a move to stick her finger into the mix, and I instantly swatted her hand away, deepening her pout as she pretended to support her injured hand.

"Wait, where's Rosalie?" I questioned, knowing that if Alice had a free day from classes, then so would Rosalie, seeing as they shared the same schedule. Alice continued in her action of grabbing a baking pan from beneath the counter, holding the bowl as I used a spatula to scoop the mix out.

"Oh, out with her new boy toy," Alice rolled her eyes, as I smirked.

"But don't you find it weird that she's spending so much time with this one in particular? Usually, she's interested for a week, and then boom, I never hear about the guy again. But she's been over the moon happy with this DJ guy for about a month," I pondered, as Alice's eyes narrowed, as she cocked her head to one side.

"You know, now that I think about it… yeah. I wonder when we'll finally get to meet him," Alice's perfectly arched eyebrows rose as I returned her look with a shrug.

"Knowing Rosalie, she's probably waiting it out to see if he's the real deal," I reasoned, as we carefully stuck the soon-to-be-cake into the blistering oven.

* * *

After probing the cake a few times and waiting for the knife to slide out clean, we finally decided that the red velvet masterpiece was ready.

While waiting for it to cool, I'd suggested to Alice that she make the frosting, since I had technically done all of the work so far on the cake. It wasn't that I minded preparing the thin coating of sugar, but I did want her to feel like she had actually played an important role in this whole baking feat.

However, after throwing in too much sugar and not adding nearly enough milk to compensate, I pursed my lips, trying to go easy on her, "Maybe I should just finish this and you could apply it, and add the sprinkles and decorations."

My suggestion seemed to be like releasing her from a terrible imprisonment, and she all-too-willing handed me back the spatula - currently covered in partially made buttercream - as I got to work finishing the job.

* * *

"Why do I have the sinking feeling that this isn't the only thing you wanted me to do today?" I asked, once placing the cake in a glass dish for Alice to take home.

"Well…" she plastered the most angelic look on her face, as I groaned, "Aliiiice."

"I _promise_ it's not going to be that hard to do. Jasper's finishing his classes at four, and I won't have the apartment ready for the party until at least five or six o'clock. I would've asked Rosalie, but she's busy with her guy. Could you please, please keep Jasper out of the apartment for an hour, maybe two?" my eyes only narrowed more and more as she spoke of her request.

"Why don't _you_ distract him, and _I_ will decorate..." even as I began to say the words, I shook my head, resigned

"…I'll keep Jasper out of the apartment."

An ear-splitting squeal emitted from Alice as she jumped up and down before bombarding me with a hug, squeezing my body to the point where I couldn't breathe, "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

Let's just hope I don't blow the entire surprise.

This was, after all, the farthest Alice had ever managed to hide a surprise party from Jasper.

No pressure, though.

* * *

I'd barely had time to shower and get dressed for my 10:00am lecture, not having any time at all to stop off for my usual coffee, which definitely made my morning feel like a total drag.

Only at noon, when I was finally released from the lecture hall did I decide to buy a plain ole cup of tea from the cafeteria, walking the short distance to the library, where I planned to finish some assignments that I'd been procrastinating doing.

Three hours and forty-five minutes later, I was closing my laptop, feeling quite accomplished with myself.

Jasper's campus was a ten-minute walk from the library, so by the time my books were packed away, and I headed towards the plain, brickwork building, it was approaching four o'clock.

A couple of students were already out of class, so I began searching for the familiar blond, curly head that belonged to Jasper amongst the crowd. What I really hadn't expected was to find it turned towards an equally familiar bronze-haired head, which I'd come to recognize from my many trips to the café.

Naturally, I panicked. It was my body's response to any potential anxiety-filled encounter.

Rather than walk towards the two of them, introduce myself, and then make up some lame excuse as to why Jasper was forbidden to go home, I turned on my heels and brisk-walked towards the exit, ridiculously apprehensive for no reason about meeting the bronze-haired guy. I was even willing to die at the hands of Alice for not fulfilling her request.

And my plan to leave unnoticed would have worked out completely well, had it not been for my two left feet, causing me to trip on thin air, sprawling – very attractively – on the floor.

"Bella?" a confused voice appeared from above, offering a hand, and pulling me upright, as I dusted myself off, already feeling my face growing hot.

Bronze-haired model was still at Jasper's side, only making my embarrassment double, as I pretended that I hadn't yet noticed his presence.

"Oh, hey Jasper. Fancy seeing you here," I laughed nervously, wanting to slap myself because of course, his reply to that would only be:

"Uh, well I do have class here, as you know. The question is: why are _you_ here?" Jasper's eyes narrowed, as gorgeous bronze-haired guy politely stayed silent.

"To… wish you 'happy birthday', of course," I gave him a 'duh' look, before smiling genuinely, "Happy birthday, Jasper."

He seemed thoroughly surprised, but accepted my greeting nonetheless, with a good-natured hug, and a 'thank you'.

"So, you couldn't wait until tonight to see me?" he laughed, referring to the dinner that Alice had set up as a decoy, so as to not arouse any suspicions from him. She had learned from past experiences that Jasper was more likely to suspect that something was going on if she pretended that she had absolutely nothing planned.

Little did he know…

"Well, I felt like it wouldn't have been as personal with everyone else throwing themselves at you," I lied, which was partially true, I guess.

Jasper seemed entirely amused at that, and so did bronze-haired guy, who Jasper finally realized was still standing beside him.

"Oh, sorry about that. Bella, this is one of my friends from class, Edward," he introduced us, and rather than say something normal like: "Nice to meet you", I went for: "Oh, yeah, I've seen you a couple of time at the café."

And once again, I was wishing that I didn't suffer so greatly from 'foot-in-mouth' syndrome.

Thankfully, though, Edward – it was nice to finally put a name to the gorgeous face – didn't seem creeped out by my confession. Rather, he seemed…pleased?

As he continued to gaze thoughtfully at me, my cheeks once again started to heat up from the fact that his first impression of me was one in which I'd been a complete and total klutz.

My eyes widened fractionally as a light bulb went off in my head from that train of thought.

I'd been struggling with a way to buy time, and as I thought back to my awkward fall – which actually seemed to be pretty useful now – I became inspired.

As I stretched my hand to shake Edward's outstretched one, I pretended to look pained as I retracted it, "Ow." Both guys seemed quite alarmed at my outburst, and I apologized, "Sorry. I think that I might've hurt my arm when I, um… fell."

Realization dawned on both of their faces, and I was thankful that Jasper was the one who volunteered, "I'll go and grab some ice."

He patted Edward on the back, giving me a sympathetic smile before running off.

Actually, I take that back. I wished that Jasper had kept his mouth shut, because now I was stuck with gorgeous Edward, who was currently looking at me carefully, and… nervously?

Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't I be completely unhinged in his presence? I normally was around attractive guys. Yet here I was, feeling perfectly at ease – which was kind of ironic seeing as I'd attempted to run away from him less than a minute ago.

"Do you think you might've sprained it?" he asked, concern leaking into his voice as well as his facial expression.

I felt so completely moved by his worry that I blanked on my answer, "Sprained what?" Then my eyes lit up, as his worry seemed to increase. He probably thought I was suffering from a concussion as well.

"Oh, my wrist! Um, I... uh. To tell you the truth, Edward, it's not actually injured…" I made a face, looking guilty, before looking up to gauge his reaction.

He looked understandably perplexed, so I quickly made sure that Jasper wasn't running back down the hall, before expanding, "Jasper's girlfriend - my best friend - is having a surprise party for him tonight. But she won't have the apartment ready for another hour. So I'm kind of trying my best to distract him for the time being."

Now, he seemed to get the picture, looking a bit relieved as he chuckled, probably reviewing the situation, which made a lot more sense to him now.

Can we rewind to his laugh though? I'll admit, I got a little dazed at how beautiful yet masculine it sounded.

"So when you fell, that was all on purpose? That's pretty smart," he still wore a smile on his face, until _my_ face fell.

"Oh. No… that was actually me, being uncoordinated."

He looked apologetic, but I could sense that he was also fighting back a smile, "Oh, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry I'm clumsy, too," I joked, lightening the mood, which Edward seemed grateful for, just as Jasper came running back with a cold compress. "Leave it on for about twenty minutes," he advised, glancing to Edward for clarification, who nodded, smiling.

"Thank you," I said, immediately acting anguished once again, as I continued to cradle my wrist, before applying the cold compress to it. I wasn't injured, but the cold did feel quite nice against my skin.

Now that Edward was in on the real issue, he was going along with it, which was both shocking and wonderful.

"I'm sorry for making you run errands for me on your birthday. What are you planning on doing now, anyway?" I wondered aloud to Jasper, casting a sideways glance to Edward, who got the message, cutting Jasper off before he could even begin to answer.

"You know what? There's a great sushi place down town that gives out free rolls to people on their birthdays. You guys can head over there," Edward turned towards Jasper, and then glanced towards me, sending an inconspicuous wink.

God Bless.

"I _am_ feeling pretty hungry. I don't think I have to get dressed until six, anyway," Jasper looked at his watch to emphasize the point. It was smart thinking on Edward's part to mention food. No guy I'd ever known had ever turned down food, let alone when it was free.

"Cool, then it's settled," I clapped my hands together in a very un-Bella-like way, about to turn out when Edward began giving Jasper directions to said restaurant, causing me to pause in my walk.

"Aren't you coming with us?" I interrupted him, under the impression that I was going to be spending a little bit more time with Edward in the process of keeping Jasper away from the apartment. It actually scared me how disappointed I was that he had seemingly decided not to come along.

Maybe it was his looks, but my first impression of him had been that he wasn't someone I'd easily approach, yet here I was, sharing inside information with him, and having him help me with this great cause.

Adorably, he rubbed the back of his neck as if he hadn't expected to be invited, "I really wouldn't like intruding."

I frowned, but all the same, knew exactly where he was coming from. He probably felt out of place to go out with me – a girl he'd only just met today – and Jasper, a guy he appeared to only hang out with during classes.

Jasper and I shared a look, "Intruding on what? Bella and I are open to having friends other than each other."

I laughed at that, and while Jasper went to answer his phone, I said, honestly, "I'll probably slip up and let him in on the surprise. You're my only hope." I was lying, just a little. But what could I say? I really loved Edward's company; that was the simple truth.

He was polite and sweet, yet hilarious and completely friendly. I had obviously stereotyped him, and I felt awful about it, but all the same, I was glad that I hadn't ended up running away. Who knew that my clumsiness could actually benefit me in this case?

Edward's eyes, stark emerald green eyes, peered at me, before finally he began to loosen up, smiling a little, "Alright, if you insist. I'll come along."

Maybe he felt sorry for me, I don't know. But there was a burning hope inside of me that felt like he wouldn't have minded an extra hour spent with me either.

As Jasper walked towards us once again, he nodded, "So, are we going or what? I'm starved."

Edward and I simply smiled at each other, and Jasper took that as a sign that he was going to be fed very soon.

* * *

One sushi roll later – two for each of the boys – I was leaning against the chair, feeling stuffed from the meal. The boys looked as if they both still had room for more, but not wanting to disgust me, held back.

I'd actually gotten to know a lot more about Edward, hearing that he had grown up in Chicago, always wanting to be a doctor from the influence of his father, who was a general practitioner. Edward had a great desire to specialize in the field of cardiology, much in contrast to Jasper, who planned on becoming a psychiatrist in the future.

He even confessed that if he hadn't decided to pursue medicine, he would probably be some sort of musician, having had a passion for playing the piano and composing music for the longest while. After telling me this particular bit of information, he'd gone motionless for a moment, looking startled; "I don't usually tell a lot of people about that."

It was truly strange, how warm it made me feel to know that I'd been let in on one of his secrets, so in turn, I explained, in the least boring way possible, about my goals to finish my degree and look for a job within the field of social work - preferably a job that dealt with children. Even as I spewed out my seemingly uninteresting plans for the future, Edward remained engrossed, which amazed me to no end.

Jasper hadn't been involved in most of our conversations during the lunch, having been busy replying to many birthday calls and texts alike.

In the back of my mind, I was reminded of Young Man, the guy I'd become strangely close to over the past few weeks via text. The guy who I wished I could tell all of my goals to – like I had with Edward – without feeling as if there was a possibility that he was a stalker, and that giving out information such as this would be unwise.

I saw similarities between Edward and Young Man, who I'd learned were both sarcastic – but not in that annoyingly rude way – yet gracious, and completely understanding of feelings.

I checked my phone, partially to check for an update with Alice, but mostly because I'd wished for a message from Young Man.

Dejectedly, I noticed only texts from Alice, who was currently setting out the cake, and making sure all of Jasper's family and friends had arrived. She informed me that she would be ready in a few minutes, so we could start heading back to Jasper's apartment now.

Speak of the devil; Jasper came back from the men's room just at that moment, asking if Edward and I were ready to head out.

Edward looked towards me, as if asking for the "okay", which I gave him in the form of a smile, and a nod towards Jasper.

"I left one of my cardigans over at your place, so I'll grab that and be out of your hair," I lied surprisingly smoothly to Jasper, who was completely unfazed, agreeing, "Sure, no worries."

It wasn't a big deal, anyhow. Rose and I stopped over at Alice and Jasper's place so regularly that it was practically our second home. I was sure that I had left more than my cardigan over there during the many times we'd all spent the night.

Edward had to walk in the same direction to get to his place, which - he informed me - he shared with one of his closest friends, Emmett. Overall, from Edward's descriptions, Emmett seemed like a good time, and had qualities that were oddly familiar to me, though I couldn't place from where.

While Jasper walked a bit ahead of us, absorbed in a conversation with his mom, Edward turned to me, "My place is right over here."

He nodded towards a newly constructed building, two blocks away from Jasper's, and I smiled, about to say goodbye, when something held me back.

"Are you going to stop by? To the party, I mean," I explained, as Edward froze, not expecting that question to come from me.

"Parties aren't really my scene," he said, and I could tell from his tone that he wasn't simply conjuring up some unoriginal excuse for the sake of not wanting to let me down. I certainly shared the same sentiments as him on that note.

"I know what you mean, but I'm kind of being forced into this one," I laughed, seeing Edward start to smile as well, as Jasper paused a few steps ahead of us, noticing that we had stopped, but still continuing his conversation on the phone.

"I'd really like for you to come. But I understand if you don't want to. Either way, I guess I'll see you around," I thought of my morning coffee, and the many times I'd seen him sat at an empty table. Maybe I'd occupy the seat opposite him.

I usually wasn't ever this bold with anyone, but after just an hour spent with Edward, I felt like I'd known him for a lot longer than that. And I definitely wanted to spend more than just an hour with him, even on mornings, when I didn't wish to speak with anyone at all – and _that_ was saying something.

Edward looked down once again towards me, seeming to be just as surprised about my openness as I was.

"I'll stop by later on," he promised me, and I held back an ear-to-ear grin, settling for a small smile, not wanting to freak him out with my enthusiasm.

Heck, I was freaked out by my enthusiasm.

He turned away, and just before pushing the door to his compound open, he turned back around to give me a wave, which I returned, before catching up with Jasper, who seemed to be on the final notes of his conversation with his mother:

"Alright… love you, too… bye… thanks… tell dad I love him…bye," then he shut his phone, glancing towards me with a grin as I gave him a look with squinted eyes.

"What?" I knew what was coming, but all the same, I tried to play dumb.

"So you and Edward, huh?" he wiggled his eyebrows, as I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up."

But the blush still came, because in my head, I was a weird jumble of happiness at the prospect of "Me and Edward".

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**A/N: So… how was this chapter? **

**It was one of my favourites to write. Especially that last line – kinda gave me chills when I reread it. **

**Were you guys as excited as I was that Bella and Edward finally met? There will still be that realization of who the other actually is, but I think that'll come a little later on (not too much though. I'm not going to drag this story out). **

**What were your favourite parts? Was it awesome or boring? Please let me know :)**

**OH my gosh. And you guys would not believe the coincidence. I just got a text from a random number. I mean, it wasn't anywhere near as funny as the Bridesmaids thing, but it was still pretty hilarious. But anyway! Please leave some of those wonderful things called reviews. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for the many follows &amp; favourites!**

**And thank you to these amazing people for reviewing the last chapter: **_**Maggie Davis (Guest), sujari6, funnechick, michael . vandebroek, misstresswillow, jadeEyre, TriforceandSheikahArts, TwilighterSam1989, S.P. Tripathi, cbmorefie, jansails, Snowgirl252, brebre99, Monyetta, Dawn276, Exceptionaldork, , BusyBeexoxo, Mrs. Spiderman Penguin, PinkSlytherin, **_**and 3 **_**Guests**_**!**

**Wow, that was a lot. **

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 6

Bella 

_Recap: _

"_What?" I knew what was coming, but all the same, I tried to play dumb. _

"_So you and Edward, huh?" he wiggled his eyebrows, as I rolled my eyes. _

"_Shut up."_

_But the blush still came, because in my head, I was a weird jumble of happiness at the prospect of "Me and Edward". _

"What do you think about him?" I looked across at Jasper curiously, as we both continued walking at a slow enough pace to his shared apartment.

The smirk reappeared on his face, and I sighed, continuing with a "Seriously."

Thankfully, he sobered up after taking note of my "for real" expression, now looking thoughtful about his response. "He's smart - top of our class, in fact. We don't usually hang out besides the odd times that we've done projects together, or had a group study in the library."

Something about that seemed terribly off, "So is he socially awkward or something? Because I wasn't getting that vibe from him."

Now, Jasper back-pedaled, "No, that's not it. I guess he just prefers to be by himself, or with a small group. He doesn't really enjoy large gatherings, but I do. Which is why we never tend to cross paths that much."

I'd believed Edward before, but now that Jasper was reinforcing the point, I now understood that he really did tend to avoid parties. That thought only made me smile, sensing that it had been a great achievement to get him to agree to stop by the party during the night.

Only time would tell whether he had been lying so as to not hurt my feelings, or if he had really decided that he would come.

"From what I've seen, he only befriends people that he can see himself keeping close to for years. I mean, he's considerate to everyone he meets, but I don't think he allows many people to get to _know_ him," Jasper shrugged, continuing his point, really seeming to ponder the puzzle that was Edward.

If there was one thing about Jasper that I admired, it was the fact that he listened carefully to everything I – or someone else, for that matter - had to say, and only responded after thinking in great lengths about his answer.

Unexpectedly, he looked straight at me, "But clearly, you don't have anything to worry about in that respect."

I blinked, taking a moment to gather my thoughts, and after still having no clue what he was talking about, I questioned, "What do you mean?"

Having anticipated my confusion, he responded almost instantly, "Well, normally, when Edward meets someone new, he remains courteous. He doesn't… well, he's not overly conversational," Jasper explained, continuing, "It's plain to see that he's pretty interested in you. I can guarantee you that if I had invited him to sushi this evening, he would've flat out said 'no'. And yet, when you asked, he hesitated."

All of this information was making my head spin - and admittedly, it was also making my heart thump wildly in my chest - so to lighten the mood, I laughed, "You _really_ know how to analyze people."

"Well, Bella, I do plan on using that in my future profession," Jasper quirked an eyebrow, dusting off his shoulders, as I rolled my eyes, following him through the glass door leading into his apartment building.

We took the elevator to the fourth floor – me, still lost in my thoughts, and Jasper remaining casual and unsuspecting that there were currently over twenty people in his living space, waiting to jump out and give him a heart attack.

"So, am I misreading you, or do you have a thing for Edward Cullen?" Jasper asked nonchalantly, as my eyes widened.

"I barely know the guy," I countered, subtly avoiding the question, and only making him smile.

"Sure, okay," he stated, causing my eyes to narrow on the outside, but making me squirm on the inside that I was obviously this easy to read.

Of course, I snapped back into reality once we arrived at apartment 467. Just at the very last minute as he began twisting the doorknob, I realized that I had successfully managed to keep Jasper from figuring out exactly what had been going on behind that door. Mentally, I gave myself a pat on the back.

He'd been so preoccupied with teasing me that he had forgotten all about the fact that his dear girlfriend had always wanted to throw a surprise party for him – and everyone knows: Alice always gets her way.

So when the door swung open, and various friends and family jumped out from behind furniture pieces, all simultaneously yelling, "Surpise!" his reaction had been priceless.

He jumped, backing into the door with his hand over his heart, taking labored breaths as I stood expectantly, and the entire room exploded with laughter. Jasper took several moments to recover.

Alice was first to greet the birthday boy, wearing a cheeky grin on her face, "So, are you surprised?" It was adorable how much his smile brightened once she was in the picture, and his answer was a deep kiss that I felt the need to turn my face away from.

"Wait, you were in on this?" Jasper turned to me, once pulling away from Alice, and I gave a simple, innocent shrug. But I could tell my answer had caused the past two hours and the impromptu sushi to make a lot of sense.

Soon enough, more friends were clapping the birthday boy on his back and reenacting his shocked reaction, while Alice drifted over to me, wearing an equally bright smile on her face.

"See, I _knew_ you'd be able to pull this off," she pointed an accusing finger at me for having doubted myself, before once again wrapping me in her signature bone-crushing hug. It still amazed me to this day how much strength she had for a person of her stature.

"But I'm curious. How did you keep him distracted without getting him suspicious?" Alice's eyes squinted, as I opened my mouth, about to go through the entire story with her, when she was beckoned by Rosalie to make a toast.

"Duty calls," she frowned at having to interrupt me, "I have to make a little speech. You know, normal host stuff. But hold that thought," she held a finger up before dancing towards the middle of the room, where she clapped her hands together, forcing all attention to be directed towards her.

And so began the heartfelt words to her boyfriend, as well as the general thanks to everyone who had shown up. She gestured to the table that had been laid out with various beverages – alcoholic and non-alcoholic – as well as the finger foods.

I wasn't particularly bothered when instead of coming back towards me, she buzzed around the room, going from group to group, ensuring that everyone felt comfortable. It was Alice – and it was one of the many qualities I loved about her; her hospitality.

Rather than pour myself a drink and wait in a corner of the room like a lost puppy, I gravitated towards Rosalie and her multiple friends, all either models or actresses - really uplifting on my self-esteem, I'll tell you.

While the conversation was quite fascinating at first, seeing as we all discussed the film adaptation to _Gone Girl, _I soon excused myself when talks spun over to runway fashion – a topic I wasn't very familiar with, and would definitely have a hard time pretending I was.

It was while grabbing myself a stuffed vegetable pie that I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. _Huh, I didn't think Edward would show up so soon_, I thought, before coming face to face with Mike Newton – who, in a nutshell, was the completely opposite of Edward. He was a classmate of Jasper's that I'd had the displeasure of meeting two years ago, in a similar fashion.

I was almost certain that Alice hadn't invited him – in fact, she'd specifically told his friends to keep all talks about the party on the down low around him – yet somehow, here he was.

"Hey Bella, long time no see," he drawled; only making me cringe internally.

Rather than be outright rude and ignore the guy, I smiled, "Hey, Mike. Yeah, it's been a while. How are you?"

"Great… now that I'm with you," he grinned, winking towards the end.

Aaaand cue the gag.

Thinking about it though, if someone else – Edward Cullen for example – had said something along those lines in greeting, I would've melted. I was terribly hypocritical that way.

"So where's Jacob?" Mike's eyebrows rose as he scanned the room, and briefly, I froze, putting on a neutral mask.

"Oh, he just went to grab something from the kitchen. You know what? I think I'll go find him," I lied, excusing myself and walking purposefully off in said direction, while Mike willingly let me go.

It was a pretty awful thing to do to lie like that just to get away from someone, but Mike was the kind of guy who clung onto you unless you shook him off with a bombshell like: "I have a boyfriend", or "I'm gay".

That was probably the only pro of my relationship with Jacob; he warded off all the creeps whenever we went out together.

A vibration in my jean pocket snapped me out of my thoughts, and as I pulled out my phone, an involuntary smile made its way to my way, realizing that I had received my first text from Young Man for the day.

**Hey babe, you and me = chemistry. You're so fine… I wanna make you mine ;)**

Uhh…

I stood with my mouth slightly agape, rereading the message several times to make sure it hadn't just been my mind playing tricks on me.

I was also thankful that I was mostly alone in the kitchenette, figuring that I would've gotten a few weird looks with my current expression.

This had to be a joke.

I waited, for more than five minutes, until finally:

**Could you please ignore that last message? **

I didn't realize that I had gone rigid, until I felt myself loosen up. Laughing, I typed out:

_Sure, "babe". But can I ask why that message was sent?_

I couldn't help myself. I couldn't just let him off the hook that easily.

It wasn't long before I was once again glancing down at a new message:

**Ahhh, something tells me that you're never going to let me live this down.**

**My roommate got a hold of my phone (remember, I told you a few stories about him?) and well… yeah. I'm sorry about that. **

Finally, I was able to put the pieces together, letting out a light giggle, as I imagined the scene: Young Man having his phone snatched away, and wrestling to get it back as his roommate sent the message.

_Ohhhh. But from your descriptions of your roommate, I'm mildly surprised that the message wasn't obscene. _

**You know, that's a really interesting point you brought up there. I'll have to thank him for that (right after I think of payback). **

I shook my head, _Boys_. It didn't matter how mature they were: boys would always be boys.

Trying to be conversational, but mostly because I was quite bored, I replied:

_Lemme know how that goes :p _

_Do you have any other plans for the night? Or is it just one of those chill-at-home kinda days?_

Young Man and I were quite similar in the fact that we barely went out, so it was quite a surprise that his message in reply was this:

**Surprisingly, no. I'm actually meeting up with a few friends. What about you?**

I was sure he was going to be just as astounded that my plans were the same – I mean, I wasn't a hermit, but whenever I had free time, I was more inclined to spend time online or watch Netflix than go out with friends.

Alice intercepted me right after I'd send a "Talk to you later" message to Young Man, tugging on my arm, "Bella, what are you doing? You should be out here socializing, talking to real, live people."

Her eyes widened at the end as if it was a rarity for me to be in the presence of other humans, only making me roll my eyes, as I was shoved into a conversation with Briana, who was a computer programmer, dating one of Jasper's friends, Lucas.

"Hey, sorry for her enthusiasm," I shook my head at Alice's retreating figure, as Briana only laughed, tucking a few strands of her wheat-colored hair behind her ears.

"Don't worry about it. I'm actually glad she brought you over here. I was meaning to come find you," she smiled pleasantly, immediately making me relax.

"I know what you mean. I haven't seen you since you went off to California for that internship with _Google_," I enunciated the last word, only making her duck her head modestly as my smile widened. Briana was a total whiz when it came to any kind of technology, so it hadn't been a complete shock when she'd been selected for placement.

"Aww Bella," she laughed, "It was definitely an experience, but I missed everyone here." Conversation flowed lightly for a good while, before the subject changed from work like to boyfriends.

After explaining that she and Lucas were planning to move to New York after he graduated, Briana perked up, "Hey, so how are things with Jacob? I haven't seen him around here." To emphasize her point, her eyes wandered around the room, before settling, and widening on something – or someone.

"But I _am_ seeing a smoking hot guy getting chatted up by Tanya," she spun me around, directing my attention to none other than Edward Cullen, dressed casually in a pair of jeans, dress shoes, and a simple navy blue shirt. Once again, his hair remained a tangle of bronze, but I couldn't complain, since I had grown to adore the mess.

Currently, he was nodding, a small smile tugging across his lips.

It relieved me – though I wanted to ignore the reason why – when I noticed that he wasn't flashing Tanya his brilliant crooked smile, but rather, the one he always reserved for the cashier and barista at the café – polite, but not particularly cheerful.

I wondered if he'd just arrived; from the gift he was still holding in his hand, I assumed Tanya had caught him in a conversation as soon as he'd walked through the door. Couldn't really blame her, though.

I was probably staring a bit too obviously at him, because soon enough, he averted his gaze so that it met mine. And all of a sudden, his smile grew wide and lopsided, and I was trying hard not to swoon, smiling back.

I had temporarily forgotten Briana's presence next to me, so when I heard a throat clear, I immediately twisted back to her. "Um, Bella, you _know_ that fine piece of man?" she looked impressed.

I could only laugh at her description, "He's a friend of Jasper's. I just met him today, actually." I tried to play the whole thing off, but she wasn't having it.

She gave me a look of total disbelief. "You _just_ met him today? It sure doesn't look that way."

My face fell, "Why does everyone keep saying stuff like that?" First Jasper had made a comment that Edward and I were awfully cozy, and now Briana. I was slightly frustrated that I seemed to be such an open book.

"You two look like… well…" she hesitated, glancing back and forth between me, and Edward – who now looked like he was breaking away from his conversation, or attempting to, anyway.

"Yes?" I prodded, as Briana shrugged, "Well you both look like you've been crushing on each other for weeks."

A blush painted both my cheeks and neck, and I tried not to think too much about how she was pretty much spot on, seeing as I'd been admiring Edward from afar for a few weeks now.

Which sounded a lot creepier than it was in actuality, but it was kind of hard not to glance over at him in the café whenever I'd spotted him.

"You broke up with Jacob," it wasn't a question, but I still confirmed with a nod.

Then, my eyebrows were crinkling, "How'd you know?"

"You're a faithful girlfriend. You wouldn't be falling for another guy while he was still in the picture," she shrugged, causing my head to shake in awe, before I laughed off her comment about me falling for Edward – it was just a harmless crush.

"For now," was all she said, with a knowing smile, before her eyes flickered behind me, and her expression turned surprised.

"Hello," a smooth, velvety voice spoke from behind me, making me jump, but causing me to turn around once again. This time, I greeted him.

"Hi, Edward. I'm glad you made it."

I figured it'd be too soon to give him a hug in greeting, but a handshake would be even weirder, so I settled for a smile, introducing Edward and Briana to one another.

"Nice to meet you," she grinned, as Edward nodded, "Likewise."

I didn't enjoy the look she passed between the two of us, immediately knowing what was coming even before she opened her mouth, "Anyway, I'm gonna find Lucas. Maybe grab some food since I'm starving."

Then, she ditched me, leaving Edward and I alone, but still amongst the crowd of mingling people.

"Sorry I chased away your friend," his fingers slipped through the bronze disarray that was his hair, momentarily making me lose my train of thought.

I blinked, shaking my head, "No, it's cool. I'm sure she wanted to leave way before you even came."

Edward chuckled, looking down, before meeting my eyes with his vibrant green orbs, "I doubt it, but thank you."

He shifted, "Oh, I've been meaning to ask: where do I put this?" He held the rectangular gift box up, and my mouth opened, looking around him to see if Alice had designated a specific area for the presents.

Unsurprisingly, I saw a stacked pile off to the side of the room, so I offered to drop it off there while Edward got himself something to drink.

While there, a couple of friends said hello, and I congratulated one in particular on her recent engagement.

Only when I made a move to meet Edward back at the drinks area did I realize that Mike was standing close beside him. I stalled, not wanting to draw any attention to myself in case he came bounding back towards me. But when I saw Edward's entire demeanor change, my eyebrows crinkled.

I quickly moved back over there, seeing Mike pat Edward on the back before scurrying away.

"What was that about?" I asked casually, pouring myself a cup of cranberry juice, while Edward's eyes moved shiftily – yeah, okay, something was definitely off here.

I secretly wondered if Mike had told him that I had some kind of contagious disease, because all of a sudden, Edward was putting at least a two feet of room between us.

"Nothing, he was just telling me about your boyfriend, Jacob," he said, forcing a smile as I pursed my lips. I almost wanted to laugh.

Why on Earth would Mike tell Edward about Jacob? Maybe he was trying to be a good friend and warn him not to get too cozy around me? Maybe not.

"My ex-boyfriend," I corrected, sipping a bit of my cranberry juice as Edward stared unblinkingly at me.

"Well, why is Mike under the impression that you two are still together?" now he looked amused, and I knew he was going to get a kick out of my answer.

"Because Mike is clingy, and the only way I can ever get him to back off is by telling him that I'm with someone," I rolled my eyes, as Edward's eyes glimmered and his chuckle turned into a deep laugh.

"You're _that_ desperate to get away from the guy? Come on Bella, don't hurt his feelings like that," Edward shook his head, feigning seriousness, as I laughed.

"Hey, you'd understand if you were in my shoes," I gave him a look, tilting my head slightly.

He sobered up immediately, "I was. About five minutes ago." Subtly, he glanced over at Tanya who – terrifyingly – was currently glaring daggers at me.

_What the_…

"I can't imagine why. Tanya seems like a _complete_ sweetheart," I said, still quite shaken up by the hole she had burned in my back.

I looked over at Edward, who looked like he was trying hard not to laugh at my response. It started off as a simple twitch of the lips, but soon enough, we were finding it hard to control our laughter.

Just then, the music was cranked up really high, as a section of the living room was cleared to form a makeshift dance floor. Alice had already sent out a notice to the other neighbors that she was planning on going all out for Jasper's party, and, luckily for her, they all adored her, so they were all were fine with it.

Some had even come to the party.

However, although _they_ were contented, I was not a happy camper, mainly due to the fact that it was grinding on my nerves to have to yell above the music for Edward to hear me.

I almost wanted to ask if we could take our conversation elsewhere, but at the same time, I _had_ invited him for a party, and a party generally entailed loud music.

For a while, I sucked it up, until shockingly, I felt Edward lean in close to my ear: "Do you want to go outside?"

Outside? Sure. I'd probably go anywhere with him – which was pretty reckless come to think of it, seeing as I didn't know much about him.

But the part of him that I did know seemed safe - and for a strange reason, it felt familiar.

I nodded.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter came a day late (yes, I'm slightly bothered by that), and I wish I had a decent excuse, but honestly: I had such a lazy week. **

**I barely had any work, so I was off my game, and I got used to not doing much when I got home. But I guess it was good to have a realizing week, since I barely have those anymore. **

**But anyway, I'm sorry :( **

**This chapter was pretty uneventful, I have to say, but I'm hoping that the next chapter will bring in some more excitement!**

**Please feel free to leave me some feedback, letting me know what you liked/disliked. **

**Thank you!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you for the follows &amp; favourites!**

**And thanks to these incredible people for leaving me some feedback: **_**michael . vandebroek, dr . meow1234, jansails, sujari6, Exceptionaldork, Monyetta, Fullofpassion09, TriforceandSheikahArts, gi-freakzoid, Meteorite102 (Guest), TwilighterSam1989, cbmorefie, Emily232, PinkSlytherin, **_**and 2 **_**Guests! **_

* * *

_Disclaimer: I still don't own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 7

Bella 

We'd grabbed our coats before slipping out of the door unnoticed by the milling crowd of friends and family. Alice was too enraptured in a conversation with one of her friends about a pair of shoes to notice me leaving the party, and I took note of this only with relief.

Of course, I knew it'd only be a matter of time before my phone would be buzzing, and I'd be sighing.

I mimicked Edward's actions as he donned his black button-up wool coat, before stuffing his hands into the pockets. The air wasn't as cold as I'd expected, but still, I rubbed my hands together as he held the door open for me, and the pure casualness of his movement made my stomach flip. Did guys still do that? Apparently so.

I looked down at my black leather ankle boots to keep myself from blushing or doing something equally embarrassing, only then noticing that my light grey coat contrasted quite nicely with my red pullover sweater and dark washed jeans.

"Do you have any siblings?" I asked, completely out of the blue, making Edward momentarily pause, before continuing in his gait.

Chuckling, he answered, "Should I bother asking why you suddenly decided to ask me such a random question?"

He could, but it would only make things super uncomfortable between us. I looked away, shrugging, "It just seems like a good question to ask." That was a lie. I'd actually been thinking about all of the things I didn't know about Edward – the things that I was dying to find out.

Whether or not he had a brother and/or sister was one of those things.

"No, I don't have any siblings. Though, I really wish I did," he admitted, "It would've been fun to grow up with a brother or sister at my side."

I smiled, just as he sent the question right back to me, and I answered simply, "I'm an only child as well."

We continued walking the streets as the sky began to grow dark, the only illumination coming from the full moon and the streetlights.

"You know, before leaving my apartment to come here, I was trying to think of a good enough excuse as to why I wouldn't be able to show up tonight," Edward looked down as we made it to a park bench, and I stopped in my tracks, his words hitting me like a ton of bricks.

"Why?" I wanted to give off the aura that I knew exactly what was going through his mind, but I didn't, and I desperately wanted to.

Edward shrugged, his green eyes averted, "Honestly?"

He sighed, once again running his pale fingers through his bronze hair, "I was questioning whether or not you actually wanted me here, or if you were just being friendly and didn't actually mean it."

I stood still for moment, feeling a terrible sensation that the tables had turned on me. With Jacob, I hadn't known about his feelings for me until he'd spilled the beans. Here I was, standing before a guy who resembled a Greek God, who wasn't aware of my interest in him. We were both ridiculously oblivious people, weren't we?

I sat on the wooden bench, patting the seat beside me, waiting as he took his place.

"Well, for future reference, I'm a terrible liar. I can never look someone in the eyes and tell a lie – it's just not physically possible. I get all nervous and giggly. So, yes, I was telling the truth when I told you that I wanted you to make it to Jasper's party," I twirled a strand of my hair, before releasing it.

"And if you haven't guessed it already, I like being around you. You're… I don't know. You're easy to talk to. I don't have to filter everything I say around you, which I normally do. I feel like I can talk to you for hours on end."

When I looked across, Edward's eyes were glued to me, and instead of feeling severely anxious; I felt only a slight thrill - a filling of my stomach with butterflies.

I was debating whether or not it had been a smart idea to be this fully honest with Edward, but once I didn't spill details of my crush on him, I figured things would be all right.

"You're not what I expected, Bella," was his response, which only made the feeling of butterflies in my stomach intensify.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I questioned, looking down at the gravel beneath my shoes, twisting them to distract me from reading too much into his words.

"I meant it as a compliment," I could hear the smile in his voice, and I once again, looked towards him, feeling my heart race once seeing that crooked grin make an appearance on his face. It was incredible how that one smile could light up his entire being – he looked _truly_ happy.

"When I first saw you at the café, you seemed to be more interested in your own little world than what was around you. You were caught up in your book, drinking coffee, alone, and you seemed perfectly content with that. Honestly, you didn't look like you wanted to be approached," he gave his first impression of me, which was completely laughable, considering I had thought the exact same of him.

In a way, he had gotten it right: when I had a good book in my hands, I didn't exactly want to be disturbed. But I was sure that by now he had learnt that I actually did enjoy human interaction – depending on the human.

"So what am I actually like, then?" I asked seriously, wanting to hear his opinion of me now that he'd spent some time in my company.

His jaw locked as he fell deep in thought, probably drawing conclusions about my personality now that he'd gotten a real taste of it.

"I always expected you to be smart. Not just book smart, but people smart as well – so I was correct in thinking that. You're self-sufficient; you can survive on your own if you wanted to. But I know you don't want that. You enjoy people, and conversations, even if most of the time, you're just the bystander. You're not one for small talk, so you only ask questions that you actually want to hear the answer to. You don't try hard to be funny - you just are."

He gave that entire description of me while peering across at me, only dropping his head to gaze at his clasped hands when I remained speechless.

My mouth felt like it had been sewn shut; my eyes were wide as saucers.

I mean, sure, I knew that Edward was brilliant, and when I'd posed the question, I knew his answer wouldn't be the generic "you're kind and cool". But my gosh, I hadn't expected _that_.

We sat in silence for a good two minutes, before I finally spoke up, "I thought you were a model. Like a high-fashion, runway model – a model for Burberry, maybe."

His head snapped towards me and he gave me look of total shock, tinged with amusement that I could see from his smile.

After a few seconds, it widened.

I had only brought up the subject because I wanted to steer the attention from me, and focus on Edward. Although I knew it had worked, there was also a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that this was going to come back and bite me.

"You thought I was a model?" he asked, even though I had just said so about a million times.

He pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth, before releasing it and grinning, "As in, you think I'm attractive?"

I'm not going to lie; it was difficult for me to process his words right away, seeing as my body was only just recovering from that heavenly lip bite, but once his words sunk in, my face went beet red.

"I never said that," I backtracked, as Edward's grin stretched, a delighted twinkle in his eyes. I wanted to believe that he was only teasing me, but there was also a nagging thought at the back of my mind that Edward knew exactly what I thought of him, truly – his looks in particular.

I shifted uncomfortably, "Well it's kind of plain to see. It's just a fact: you're nice to look at." I raised my hands in the air, avoiding all eye contact with Edward, and forcing my eyes instead to stare at my boots once again.

I had changed the subject in an attempt to avoid being flustered, yet here I was, right back to it.

I was a mess.

When I braved a peep over at Edward, I took note of his secret smile, "Thank you, Bella. But if I'm being perfectly honest: it meant more to me to hear you say that you enjoy my company."

My blush deepened. I was beginning to realize that the Edward I was beginning to get to know wasn't shallow at all like I'd expected at first glance. I mean, he was more interested in what I thought of him as a person than what I thought of his looks. And I was coming to realize that both aspects of him – looks and personality - were quite astounding.

"And for the record, I find you exceptionally beautiful to look at as well," I could feel his eyes on me as the words flowed out of his mouth like sweet butterscotch.

_All right, that was it. I was gone. Dead. Done with life. _

My heart was racing, practically running a marathon inside my chest, and I was having a hard time stopping myself from smiling like an idiot. Maybe he was just trying to compensate for the fact that I had just complimented him on his looks. Or maybe he actually meant it. Either way, I was practically bubbling over with happiness.

I didn't generally obsess over my looks. I could leave the apartment most days with no make-up on – mainly because I was lazy, but regardless, I was comfortable.

Still, I couldn't deny the feelings of excitement inside me at being thought of as _beautiful_ by Edward Cullen. The guy himself was Adonis.

Just as his mouth opened once more, my obnoxious ringtone filled the peace.

I didn't hide my frustration, giving Edward an apologetic look as I pulled out the sleek cellular device, answering who I already knew was Alice.

"Where _are_ you?" I heard her yell, but still the music remained blasting in the background so I knew she hadn't seriously been worrying about my whereabouts.

"I took a walk with a friend. I'll be back soon, don't worry," yes, I was slightly peeved that my conversation with Edward had suffered a break, but it also warmed my heart knowing that Alice for me this much.

"Who are you with?" she asked, now exceptionally curious, and I simply answered, "I'll talk to you later. _Bye_," I sung the last word, ending the call before she could hound me with more questions. I'd give her the inside scoop later on.

"So you play the piano," I began, before Edward could suggest that we go back to the party. From the expression on his face, I knew he felt guilty that he had inadvertently pulled me away from my friends. But what he didn't know was that I'd wanted to leave the party long before he had even arrived. The fact that he was here with me now was an added plus.

"Uh, yes," Edward answered, confused, but diverted from his original proposition. _Success_.

"Do you compose?" I asked, now observing his expression as it went reserved.

"Yes," he answered, and I almost thought he was going to leave it at that. But then he surprised both himself and me when he continued, "I generally write about people – I try to incorporate their personality into a piece. I have a grand piano back home in Chicago, but I couldn't exactly fit it into my apartment here, so I have a keyboard. It's… not the same, but it does the trick."

I understood, nodding. It had definitely peaked me interest that he composed music based on people he knew. Who did he find worthy enough to write a song about?

"Do you miss it back home?" I asked instead, thinking of the way he had mentioned Chicago, knowing that a lot of students over here often complained of homesickness - even though they went back home every vacation they got.

Amazingly, Edward made a face and hand signal as if saying, "Eh, kinda."

"Just my family, and I guess the city. But I don't really miss anything else. I didn't have anyone there holding me back from leaving, you know? It didn't matter if I left," he answered, as I frowned.

I felt the same with him on that level. I missed Forks, mainly because of Charlie, but I didn't really have friends like Alice and Rosalie back home, so in that aspect, I didn't particularly miss my hometown.

But something had perked my ears about his statement, "You didn't have a girlfriend back home?" I was startled. Surely, girls must've dropped at his feet even in his high school days.

He looked embarrassed, once again rubbing the back of his neck in that adorable gesture of his, "I dated a few girls, but nothing ever became that serious. Even during university, it just never happened."

I guess that made sense in a way, considering his busy schedule, but still, I asked why he hadn't ever committed to a girl – or vice versa. Maybe there was something about him that generally ticked girls off, or maybe he was just specific about what he wanted in a girl.

His discomfort grew at my question, and immediately feeling awful about bringing up a clearly touchy subject, I shook my head, "Forget I even asked. I'm sorry."

Edward chuckled nervously, "It's alright. It's not a big deal, really. I just realized that most of the girls I dated didn't really care to know the real me. They just liked the idea of me; they wanted some boy they could show off to impress their friends. Past that," he shrugged.

Well, then.

"All of the girls you dated clearly sucked," I spoke my mind, not bothering to think about filtering my words. I guess in this case it worked out, because it got a huge laugh out of Edward – a hearty, good-natured laugh that made me feel like I was in a dream.

As a matter of fact, Edward's entire presence simply felt like a dream; too good to be true.

I pinched myself, instantly thinking, _Yup, I'm awake_.

"And what about you,_ Isabella_?" he grinned, and although I'd always despised the sound of my full name, from his lips, it didn't sound entirely cringe-y.

"Just the one that I mentioned earlier on," I acted nonchalant about my lack of relationships as Edward's mouth hung open, ever so slightly.

I already knew the question that was coming, so I answered right away, "We were together for four years."

If Edward had been eating something right then, he appeared as if he would've choked.

"Four _years_? Are you… alright?" he looked terribly awkward, as if he wasn't sure what was an appropriate thing to say to me in this scenario. I only laughed, admiring his effort.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," I smiled, "I hate the fact that fact that I'm about to say this, but I realized after a while that I was just stringing him on. I can't even say that the reason we broke up was because my feelings went away, because I don't believe there were really any feelings there to begin with."

He looked downright amazed. "How'd you know that you didn't like him?" Edward wondered, leaning on his elbows, which were currently resting on his thighs.

It didn't take long for me to formulate an answer, because it was right there on the tip of my tongue. It had been something that I'd given a lot of thought to after breaking up with Jacob: "I could go weeks without talking to him, and I'd be perfectly content. He would talk to other girls – not romantically, but still - and I wasn't at all bothered by it. I guess I finally realized that he was just a friend; he wasn't meant to be more than that."

I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling a bit saddened that I hadn't comprehended this fact sooner. Then again, I guess it had been a lesson in life for me to know the difference between caring about a friend, and having true feelings for someone.

I'd been looking at Edward while saying this, only now feeling his deep green eyes burning into mine, looking completely fascinated.

"I'm sorry you wasted all that time on him," he answered, and I almost felt like there was a double meaning in his words, but I tried not to overanalyse.

It was intense – the amount of emotion held within those irises of his. If only I knew what they all meant.

He only broke contact when _his_ phone started to buzz, and he looked agitated at having to pause our discussion, answering the call, "Yes, Emmett?"

After hearing a few words from his roommate, his free hand went up to pinch the bridge of his nose, "You _what_? Emmett, why would you leave your bag unattended in the first place?"

His sigh got even deeper, "Alright, I'm coming."

I bit down my disappointment, putting on a sympathetic smile, as Edward looked devastatingly guilty, "I'm really sorry, Bella. But I have to go help my idiot roommate with his problems." He shook his head once more.

"It's alright. At least I know you have a legitimate reason for leaving," I smiled, meaning my words, as we both stood from the bench.

"I'll walk you back to Jasper's," he stated – it wasn't an offer, it seemed like if he was set on doing just that - but it really seemed to me as if his friend required Edward's help urgently, so I scrunched my eyebrows together, "No, Edward, you really don't have to. I'm capable of walking a few blocks alone."

His head drew back, and he looked at me like if I had just grown two heads, "Thank you, but no thank you, Bella. I'm walking you back there."

And just like that, I clasped my mouth shut, feeling as if that matter was settled.

It was approaching nightfall as we walked the three blocks to Jasper's apartment complex. The temperature drop had been noticeable while we were sitting on the benches, but I had been much too focused on the conversation to really take note.

The air was still and silent now. With anyone else, I would've attempted to fill it with meaningless conversation so as to ease his or her awkwardness. But Edward had proved that he knew me, and therefore knew that I despised small talk. He was comfortable with the air being filled with our footsteps rather than our words.

I felt like I had drawn our walk out longer than necessary, but it pleased me to note that it wasn't just me who lingered at the door to the building. Maybe my company wasn't so dull, after all.

I glanced up at Edward who I noted was a good few inches taller than me – I almost had to crane my neck up to look at him. I bit my lip, looking to the side, thinking of something to say. Should I wave? Should I hug him goodbye? What do I do?

_Go big or go home, Bella_, the infamous quote echoed in my mind, and without putting any more thought into my planned action, I reached up on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. I watched as his expression turned from surprised to dazed, stifling a giggle when I realized that I'd unconsciously rendered him speechless.

"Thanks for coming," I smiled softly, "I really liked our walk, and talk." I laughed at the end, getting a crooked smile out of Edward.

"So did I," he smiled, still looking a bit glassy-eyed. "I'll see you around, Bella." He looked as if he wanted to do something then, but ultimately, stopped himself.

"Goodnight, Edward," I whispered back just as he turned on his heels and I pushed open the door.

It had been a _good night_ indeed.

* * *

**A/N: An entire chapter dedicated to Edward and Bella getting to know each other. **

**How did that work out? Did you guys enjoy it?**

**A LOT of you keep asking when they'll find out about Bridesmaids Girl and Young Man, and trust me, it will happen soon. Probably sooner than you'd expect. **

**This chapter was a bit rushed for me because I wanted to get it posted today, but I hope it was still a relatively good read. Things between Bella and Edward will progress, I promise. **

**Thank you for reading! And feel free to drop me a review, letting me know what you thought. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you for all of the follows &amp; favourites!**

**I just checked the review count and realized that this story has over 100! WHAT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! **

**So thanks for reviewing: **_**PinkSlytherin, Fullofpassion09, lupis93, LTAX (Guest), gi-freakazoid, FictionAddiction734, Anita (Guest), funnechick, cbmorefie, Em2017, Goddess of Fangirls, Monyetta, michael . vandebroek, Exceptionaldork, dr . meow1234, jansails, Maggie Davis, Mrs . Spiderman Penguin, TwilighterSam1989, **_**and 3 **_**Guests**_**!**

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Edward

The walk to one of the busier parts of town wasn't far from Jasper's apartment complex, and with my brisk walking, I managed to make it to the club in less than ten minutes. The metalwork sign, _100 Degrees, _stood out amongst the strip of restaurants and bars, and finding Emmett's bobbing head amongst the crowd wasn't difficult.

"I thought you said you needed my urgent help. Aren't you worried about your stuff?" I glared accusingly at my friend, who was busy chatting up a girl with straight, dark brown hair.

Emmett worked part-time as a DJ in order to help pay for his college tuition, and in a way, it always seemed like a win-win situation for him. Although his ultimate goal was to be the producer behind the popular music that we hear on the radio today, remixing music was also a favorite past time of his.

Most days after classes, he would pack up his laptop, as well as his headphones and other necessities for his job, into a backpack, storing it near the sound equipment until it was time for him to go on. The problem was that the area was easily accessible to anyone and therefore his belongings could be taken at any time that he was distracted – now, for example. Emmett's brilliant resolve was that everyone would be too busy having a good time to go about stealing someone's possessions. Well, I guess he couldn't very well say that anymore.

"Oh, yeah, turns out that the other DJ picked it up mistaking it for his own. So, everything's all good now," he shrugged, and I physically had to restrain myself from strangling him.

I left Bella – beautiful, fascinating, brilliant, Bella – for absolutely nothing. There had actually been no point to me leaving so soon, because Emmett, as it turns out, had found his backpack. And yet, he hadn't thought to inform me sooner.

"But since you're here, I'd like to introduce you to someone. Julia, this is Edward, one of my good friends. Edward, meet Julia. She's an environmental science major," Emmett grinned, patting me on the back and scurrying off since it was conveniently his time to keep the clubbers entertained.

And then it all made sense.

My shoulders tensed as I realized that this had all been one gigantic setup from the start. Emmett hadn't really lost his bag with his irreplaceable laptop; he just wanted to have an excuse for me to come down her and meet a girl.

For years, Emmett had tried to set me up with someone: "I don't want you to end up being a hermit, Edward. I do this because I care." He had mentioned the reasoning behind these numerous dates a couple of times. After a while, I stopped humoring him since the dates were usually with dimwitted girls that were more his type than mine.

I had a feeling that the combination of his newfound relationship with the "bombshell blonde" - as he so fondly called her - as well as his coming across my texts with Bridesmaids Girl had only fueled his belief that I was never going to find a real, live girl.

My eyes narrowed, and momentarily, I forgot that I was in the company of someone else, quickly clearing my throat, "Hi, it's good to meet you." I smiled, before apologizing, "I'm sorry about that."

I took the usual approach that I did around girls I wasn't interested in. I was friendly, but reserved, not giving them any flirty signs whatsoever. My body language remained quite rigid, even though my expression showed that I was calm.

Julia was smiling congenially, "That's alright." Her heavy Australian accent was apparent, even as her voice lowered, "Just right off the bat, I um, I actually don't want to give you the wrong idea. I have a boyfriend. I tried telling your friend earlier, but he seemed so insistent, I just didn't have the heart."

I let out a breath. So many variations of relief hit me at that point, and it took my all not to lift my head to the Heavens and yell, "Thank you, God."

"Great," I smiled, earning a confused look from the amber-eyed Australian, who although pleased with my reaction, had obviously not expected such a positive one.

"I mean, I'm interested in someone else," I'd used the excuse so many times before that it was actually quite a shock to my system to realize that this was the first time I had meant it.

A corner of my lips upturned as I thought back to my walk with Bella, seeing her huddled in her grey wool coat, cheeks pink from the brisk air. Her hair - that lustrous mahogany color - blowing gently in the wind as she had kept pace with me. I had never before felt my heart race the way it did when she had thrown her head back in a laugh.

Quickly, I snapped back into reality as Julia gave me a strange, amused look, "I can see that."

"But out of curiosity: why is your friend under the impression that you're a loner?" she jabbed a thumb in Emmett's direction who was too busy nodding his head to the music and pushing numerous sound effects to pay us any heed.

If possible, my annoyance towards Emmett only doubled, as I let out a frustrated sigh. Even though he was pretty much accurate in saying that, it still bothered me that he was making it seem like I was a lost cause in the face of love.

"Because he doesn't know about her. I technically only met her today," I gave a sheepish smile, looking away, already anticipating that she would be a bit disbelieving that I wasn't making up some girl just to sound cool.

Only when I turned back towards Julia was I met with a wide-eyed stare, and I quickly asked if she was all right.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just… the way you looked when you mentioned her. I thought you'd been dating her for months. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it," she shook her head, turning back to her drink at the bar as my eyebrows furrowed.

"No, what were going to say? I promise I won't be weird," I implored, waiting as she took a sip of her martini, before turning to me with a small smile on her lips.

"You look like you're falling in love with her."

* * *

Her words continued to echo in my mind even after I'd left the club sans Emmett – he'd be working for an hour more since he was kicking off the weekend with this gig.

I'd left the club shortly after realizing that it was approaching eleven o'clock and I still had yet to review my notes from the past week. Okay, I seemed like a total nerd in this respect, but this was medical school we were talking about. I couldn't afford to fall behind on studying.

Julia was a nice enough girl, but both of us had had a silent agreement that though we'd had a decent time talking to one another, that would be the end of that. Emmett had been severely unhappy when he'd heard the news, and I noted – with defeat – that the fire in his eyes had not dulled. This wasn't the end for him.

Though I appreciated all of his efforts, I'd have to let him know about Bella, or else I was just going to end up exhausted at having to turn down all of the girls he was trying to set me up with.

And back to the subject of Bella. How did I feel about her?

I was shaken by Julia's take on my feelings for Bella, knowing how serious _love_ actually is. I couldn't possibly be that serious about Bella after knowing her for less than a day – as much as I wanted to, I couldn't count the multiple times I'd seen her at the café as us meeting each other.

I'd admired her ever since then, and my interest had only grown over time – witnessing her drinking the same drink (a vanilla latte, I believed), always with a book in her hands. Occasionally she'd move a wisp of hair out of her face, only fallen because her head was bent down towards the pages.

Meeting her had been… well, it had been entertaining, to say the least. Not only did I realize that she was unnaturally clumsy - able to trip on air, even – I had also appreciated her innovative way of distracting Jasper from his surprise party. Admittedly, I'd feel an odd spike of worry when she'd retracted her hand and her face had shown pain. I'd waved the feeling off as something built into me since I wanted to become a doctor, but it was evident afterwards that that had only been a small part of the reason.

When she'd hugged Jasper, I'd briefly wondered if they were a couple, having heard from loads of classmates that he was in a longtime relationship with a film major. It was scary – the cold disappointment that had run through me once the thought had crossed my mind. I didn't even know anything about Bella at that point, yet I had felt this inherent pull towards her, so even picturing her with someone else had butchered my spirits.

Of course, I'd later found out that although she was only a good friend of Jasper's, she had only just broken up with her own boyfriend of four years.

_Four_ _years_. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she'd been stuck in a relationship with someone she hadn't even loved for four years. It was clear to me that her reason for staying with him for so long was all because of her guilt to call things off. Perhaps she was worried he wouldn't handle the news well?

She didn't mention whether her ex had taken the news lightly, but, thinking about it, who would? I'd be devastated to lose Bella.

By this time, I'd arrived at my apartment, twisting the key and pushing the door open. Distractedly, I hung my coat on the rack, pulling off my shoes and entering my room, only to slide into my bed, lying on my back.

I stared at the blank white ceiling, my thoughts in a muddle.

I liked Bella. I liked the way she talked about her dream of becoming a social worker, with such fierce passion that I almost questioned whether I felt the same about becoming a doctor.

I liked her smile, showcasing her perfect white teeth. I liked the way she looked at me; not like a piece of fresh meat, but an actual human being. She paid attention to me even if I felt like I was blabbering on about nothing of importance.

I especially liked her eyes, deep chocolate brown orbs that always seemed to be filled with life, not a trace of negativity in them.

I could go on for days about her blush. It reflected how innocent she truly was, flustered by the smallest of things. It was such an endearing quality.

I passed my hand through my hair, sighing loudly when I realized that I didn't just _like_ those things about Bella. It was such an insignificant description for what I felt for her, but at the same time, I had no idea what constituted as love – or "falling in love", for that matter.

I probably sounded insane, but all I knew was that I'd never felt so deeply connected to someone in my entire life.

* * *

"Yo!" Emmett called from the kitchen, and even in the confinement of my bedroom, I could picture my friend patting his stomach as she scavenged through the fridge for something to calm the beast in him.

Rather than ignore my rowdy roommate, I pushed myself off the bed and headed into the modern-looking kitchenette.

"Emmett," I began, working out the phrasing of what I wanted to say.

After biting into a stick of cheese, he turned towards me, "I know, I know. I wish the thing with Julia had worked out too, but there are other fish in the sea, bro."

He nodded his head, believing that that was where this conversation had been leading. If only he knew.

"No, Emmett. Even if I _did_ like her, she has a boyfriend," I explained, realizing then that I wasn't helping matters because his expression of pity only intensified.

"Oh man, I wish I'd known that before setting you two up," he pressed a hand to his forehead, "That must've been mortifying."

I shook my head, "Emmett, you're not getting the point. I don't like her."

Breathing, I managed out, "I have feelings for someone else." Again, it felt strangely yet comfortingly foreign to me to say those words and actually mean it.

"Oh God, don't tell me it's that girl you've been texting. Look, I know she seems cool and whatever, but she can be a serious catfish, and things could get super awkward if you realize that she's not what you were expecting," he rested a hand on my shoulder, and I could only roll my eyes.

Yes, Bridesmaids Girl was someone I had realized I could talk to for hours on end, and yes, it _did_ make me slightly unnerved that I really didn't know whether or not the girl I was talking to was actually even a girl at all. But, she made me laugh, and she definitely acted as a stress relief from all of my work. I never wanted to end the conversation or tell her I had to leave, but oddly enough, she always seemed to know, and did the job for me.

There was definitely a bond between us after a few weeks of texting each other, finding out bits and pieces of information about each other – nothing too specific, since both of us were aware that the other could secretly be a serial killer.

After meeting Bella today, I felt a bit remorseful about the situation with Bridesmaids Girl. I'll admit it, I'd developed a _bit_ of a crush on this girl via text, simply because her talks always seemed so thought provoking, but also always incredibly funny. At the same time, I knew that things could never go anywhere.

Once again, I was getting too lost in my thoughts to pay attention to the present - which was, getting the point across to Emmett that I didn't want to be set up with anyone anymore – mind you, I never had, but now I had a good reason.

"No, Emmett, it's not the girl I've been texting, though you really shouldn't have butted into that," I gave him a pointed look, referring to the text he'd sent to Bridesmaids Girl, which thankfully, she'd brushed off with a few laughs.

"I met someone today, _in person_," I exaggerated, this time spiking his interest. His mouth was currently full with bits of a ham sandwich, but still he spoke, "Weely? Ooo?" Translation: _Really? Who__?_

I was past trying to get Emmett to understand that his habit of talking with his mouth full was actually pretty disgusting. Hopefully, now that he had a potential girlfriend in the picture, she would take up that job.

"I don't think she's anyone you know. She's majoring in sociology at Dartmouth, a friend of a friend. That's how we got introduced. She's… well, she's something," I had to force myself not to slip into a daydream (again), paying attention to Emmett's expression.

He was still holding onto his sandwich, crumbs specked around his mouth, but at least he made sure his mouth was empty before speaking up, "You met a girl. Who you like. You like a girl."

He seemed to be repeating the words to himself like a robot, and I almost wanted to leave the room in distress because of his shocked reaction. But with my track record, I couldn't really blame him.

"Yes, it's all very alarming. I was with her when you called under false pretenses," I gave him a look then, as he digested my words along with his food, only plastering on a cheeky, albeit embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, Ed," he polished off his sandwich, before firing a few more questions about her.

"Scale of one to ten: how hot is she?" he asked, and rather than correct his description of her, I went with it.

"Too gorgeous to be measured on a scale," I replied honestly, as I plopped into the metal stool on the opposite side of the counter, watching as Emmett's eyes and mouth both went wide.

My comment was met with loud hoots from Emmett as I could only laugh. More questions ensued before Emmett had satisfied his hunger.

"About time," was the last thing he said on the matter, clapping me on the back before calling it a night, informing me that he'd like to meet Bella soon enough, once I got the guts to ask her out.

_That_ was another thing. Now that I'd realized my feelings for her, I had to actually _tell_ her about them. _Crazy, right?_ I'd have to prepare myself for her response of revulsion or pity. The possibility of her liking me back was wonderful, but far-fetched.

And I couldn't very well tell her right now, because she had only recently come out of a four-year relationship. She probably wanted nothing more than to stay away from guys for all I knew.

_Ugh_, I raked my fingers through my hair once again, deciding that a long shower and some nightly studying would probably keep my mind off of things.

The shower, unfortunately, only brought on more deep thinking and worrying, though once I was dressed and had my binder open, I could finally immerse myself in my work and put most of my thoughts on Bella to the backburner - key word here being _most_.

Just as I was rereading the last page of my work for good measure, my phone buzzed from on top of my counter. It was pretty much a nightly ritual for Bridesmaids Girl or myself to message the other, in tribute to how this whole "relationship" had began. I felt the usual excitement as I read the text.

_Hey! I just arrived home from the hangout with my friends and thought about you. How did your night end up going?_

A smile tugged at my lips reflecting on her words that she'd thought about me, even though I knew she'd only meant it casually, writing back:

**It was definitely a change from staying inside like I normally do. But it turned out to be a really good night, even though it got cut short. **

I think Bridesmaids Girl and I had fallen into routine of wanting to know all the details of each other's seemingly uneventful nights, so I wasn't surprised when she asked why it had gotten cut short. I guess it could've been interpreted as something horrendous happening to end the night: like a fire or a fistfight.

**Nothing serious, my roommate was actually the cause (surprise, surprise). He basically called me while I was out walking, and I thought he'd lost his bag containing his laptop and stuff, but it was basically just all a setup to get me to come meet him at a club.**

When my reply was something detailing my roommate's call and his actual plan, I expected her to type out a "lol" or something along those lines.

I can't really put into words how my entire world froze when I got a completely different reply:

_Edward?_

* * *

**A/N: And the excitement begins…**

**Well, actually I don't want to hype anything up in case the conversation falls short of your expectations, so let's just wait and see. How did you find this chapter though? I realized that Emmett had been MIA from the story, so I wanted to add that bit in. And I realized I hadn't done an Edward's point of view in a while, so I wanted to do that. **

**I'm really anxious to hear what you guys thought. It was probably a bit anticlimactic, but let me know your honest opinion :) I wrote the entire chapter today, so if there are any errors, my apologies!**

**Reviews make me reeeeeally happy. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: ****Thank you for the follows &amp; favourites!**

**And THANK YOU for the reviews: **_**love-still-remains, funnechick, Maggie Davis, brebre99, sandy4321, Em2017, Monyetta, Youat2intheMorning, misstresswillow, Exceptionaldork, sujari6, gi-freakazoid, Bugsmamawolf, Meterorite102, michael . vandebroek, lupis93, cbmorefie, TwilighterSam1989, Yali . Page, S.P. Tripathi, hdurgan07, LTAX (Guest), wowie10, Fullofpassion09, binky14, Rox Your Sox Off, ahsimac, pandorazul, FictionAddiction734, PinkSlytherin, jansails, **_**and 4 **_**Guests. **_

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 9

Bella 

My mind was still stuck in a mirage of all things Edward Cullen when the elevator door slid open onto the fourth floor.

_Back to the party_.

I was reluctant to head back inside, back to all of the pointless socializing. My tolerance for small talk had only dropped after spending a few hours with Edward, talking about anything and everything.

Nothing about our time together felt forced, which was unfamiliar to me seeing as things had always felt strained in the beginning of many of my close friendships – with Alice, Rosalie, Jacob, and Jasper. Those initial few encounters were meant to feel scary and nerve-wracking, yet my time with Edward was anything but.

In fact, I'd never felt more comfortable – more _myself_ – around anyone else. I hadn't been lying when I'd confessed that, around him, I felt as if I had no censor.

From behind the door, I could hear the party still pumping, music blasting, people chattering. I braced myself for the onslaught of questions from Alice and Rosalie regarding my whereabouts, pushing open the door.

Barely any heads turned my way, which was an incredible relief seeing as I probably would've turned red from all of the attention. I figured that the guests had gotten used to people coming and leaving as they pleased.

I avoided eye contact with everyone – probably missing Alice and Rosalie in the process - hoping that news of my arrival wouldn't travel. But my attempts at hiding in the kitchen were futile: not a minute after reentering the apartment did I see a bouncing pixie and a Victoria's Secret model trail inside the room, shooing a couple of people out in the process.

"So, are you going to tell us where you snuck off to, and who you went with?" Rosalie raised an eyebrow, folding her arms in front of her tasteful black skin-tight dress. I felt like a suspect in a crime investigation under the power of her gaze.

Alice mimicked her actions, "And are you going to explain to us why Briana filled me in on the fact that you were quite buddy-buddy with a - and I quote - 'fine piece of man'?" To exaggerate her annoyance, Alice cleared her throat and pursed her pouty lips.

"Uhh," I stalled, knowing that this was one jam that I couldn't possibly get myself out of, seeing as they'd already gone to another source.

I let out a loud sigh, "Fine. It's really not a big deal. Today, when following through with my plan to keep Jasper away from the apartment, I met one of his classmates, Edward…"

I filled them in on every detail of my encounter with the bronze-haired stud, who was not only a sight to behold, but also someone that I found myself able to spill my guts to – even after less than a day of knowing him. I couldn't put into words how comforting his company was.

I watched as their affronted expressions melted away into small smiles, giving me hope that I was going to be let off the hook, before Alice began to frown, having realized something.

"Well why have I not met this guy if he and Jasper are friends?" she tapped her foot, looking deeply concerned as I made a face, cocking my head to one side: "They don't really hang out that much outside of class. He's not really a social butterfly. It was actually a huge accomplishment to get him to show up here."

"So why didn't you introduce us before he left?" Rosalie peered towards me accusingly, as I once again cringed.

"Well, I assumed you guys would get a little… excited," judging from their current enthusiasm, I had hit the nail on the head with that.

"Okay, we'll let you get away with that one," Alice reluctantly sighed, seeing my point, before continuing, "But you can't just keep him a secret forever. We're going to have to meet him." She gave me the look a mother gives her child after reprimanding her for stealing from the cookie jar.

Obviously, I _had_ to introduce Edward to my friends, because their approval of him meant a lot to me. But at the same time, I wasn't sure I wanted them to scare him away quite so soon.

"You will," _eventually_, I finished in my head, as both girls wore satisfied smirks on their faces. I wore my own version.

"So how hard was it to recover from falling flat on your face in front of him?" Rosalie joked, making the smile disappear from my face and my cheeks flame. They both loved to tease me endlessly on my lack of coordination, so much so, that it was actually more surprising for them _not_ to mention it at least once a day than mention it.

"Too soon?" Alice giggled, as I rolled my eyes at them both, fighting the smile on my face. They only badgered me for fun, and didn't in any way truly hurt my feelings with their commentary.

"Oh, and why'd he end up leaving? From the description of the night, you two seemed to really hit it off," Rosalie remarked, a look of curiosity plastered across her face, as I began the small explanation.

"Emmett – his roommate – apparently got his bag stolen, so he went to go help with that situation," I noticed how, from the first word of my sentence, a look of astonishment, followed by worry flashed across Rosalie's face.

"You alright, Rose?" my eyebrows crinkled with worry as she seemed to realize where she was and who she was with.

"You guys know that DJ I've been going out with for the past few weeks?" Rosalie questioned as both Alice and I nodded, confused at the change of subject – but slowly, a light bulb was beginning to go off in my head.

"His name is Emmett, and he has a roommate in medical school," she gave us the final piece of the puzzle as both Alice and I turned towards each other with our mouths formed into small 'o's.

* * *

So, Rosalie's boyfriend – after she began talking in great detail of her new beau, I realized that he was more than just a fling for her, and that things had taken a serious turn – was, in fact, also Edward's roommate.

_What a small world it was. _

Although I'd just made a really important connection between myself and Edward – our roommates were dating each other – I still felt a sense that I was still missing something equally, if not more important than that. Yes, Emmett had seemed familiar, but it was for more reasons than just this one. Anyway, I figured I should let the issue go seeing as I was slowly driving myself mad.

As the guests began to file out, couple by couple, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and I began to clean up the little mess that had been made. Mainly, we packed away the rest of the food, and the red velvet cake – which, surprise, surprise, Jasper had loved.

"So did you guys meet Bella's boyfriend?" Jasper joked, as my face burned up and both Rosalie and Alice one again looked at me like I'd committed a great act of betrayal.

"He's not my boyfriend," I corrected, for the millionth time, going back to sweeping up some chips that had fallen on the kitchen floor.

"Not yet," Alice sang, as Rosalie giggled and Jasper wore his classic ear-to-ear grin.

"Guys, I literally just came out of a relationship," the excuse sounded subpar, even to my ears, because everyone in the room right now knew that my relationship with Jacob had truthfully not been a real relationship.

"With a guy you didn't even love. So, I don't think that whole 'rebound' thing applies to you. It's time you found yourself someone that you actually_ like_ being around," Rosalie spoke up, as Alice and Jasper voiced their wholehearted agreement.

"I don't even know if Edward likes me like that. Plus, I'm okay with just having him as a friend," once again, the words tasted bitter coming out of my mouth, as I felt an undeniable wrench in my gut thinking about my relationship with Edward never crossing past friendship.

"_Sure_, for now," Alice once again piped up, as I washed my hands, and Rosalie began reaching for her purse.

At the last minute, I turned towards Jasper, about to open my mouth.

He beat me to it: "I won't tell Edward about any of this, don't worry." He wore a knowing smirk on his face as I could only look at him with the utmost gratitude.

"Thanks, Jasper."

And with that, we gave the birthday boy and his girlfriend hugs goodbye before heading out to our own haven.

Rosalie's company while walking home was anything but dull, even after the conversation we'd all just finished.

She finally began opening up about Emmett, having realized that with my connection with Edward, I was bound to meet him sooner or later.

"Well he works at a club most weekdays after school. He's studying to become a music producer," she answered, after I'd asked about his job. Something about her words was triggering a sense of awareness in my brain, though I couldn't understand why.

I was brought away from my train of thought when Rosalie admitted that the only reason she hadn't introduced Alice and myself to Emmett was purely on the basis of the fact that they weren't formally a couple as yet. She wasn't open to the idea of letting us meet anyone she wasn't one hundred percent committed to.

It was clear to me that both Emmett and Rosalie were head over heels in love with each other, and I suggested that he probably hadn't made things official because he assumed that things already were. Plus, conversations like that could be incredibly daunting to a person, so he was probably just nervous that Rosalie would say 'no'.

"Yeah, I guess so. It doesn't make the situation any less frustrating. I mean, he's a DJ so he's always around a lot of pretty girls, and even though I know he wouldn't do anything stupid, it'd just be nice to have that peace of mind." Nothing was worse than seeing your best friend in distress and being unable to help. She sighed, and I could only give her a comforting hug and hope that someone would shake some sense into Emmett soon.

* * *

I'd been thinking about Young Man for the majority of the evening, wondering how his night out with friends had gone. The main reason that we tended to click so much was because of our mutual love for staying at home rather than going out and getting drunk. I'd seen what alcohol could do to a person, and I wasn't eager to have my own experience with it.

Immediately after opening the apartment door, Rosalie and I separated for the night, going off to our respective bedrooms.

A long shower and a few episodes of _Revenge _was in order, and only after changing into a comfortable pair of pajamas was I reminded to message Young Man. I sent:

_Hey! I just arrived home from the hangout with my friends and thought about you. How did your night end up going?_

I clicked 'play' on the show that I'd already loaded on my laptop, nothing but relaxed as I waited for a reply from my text message friend. Less than five minutes later, my phone buzzed. I guessed he really did have a late night.

**It was definitely a change from staying inside like I normally do. But it turned out to be a really good night, even though it got cut short. **

I paused the show, a bit worried by what he meant by "it got cut short". Was it a house party and someone filed a noise complaint? It probably wasn't anything nearly that serious, but I still probed him to find out why.

I busied myself by proofreading an essay I was to submit in a few days, correcting the small, grammatical errors I had made, until my phone dinged. Even when I opened the message, I was a bit wrapped up in my work to take note of some of the important details Young Man mentioned in his reply:

**Nothing serious, my roommate was actually the cause (surprise, surprise). He basically called me while I was out walking, and I thought he'd lost his bag containing his laptop and stuff, but it was basically just all a setup to get me to come meet him at a club.**

I read the text, but I didn't really process it, wanting to finish the last page of my editing before deciphering the message and typing out an appropriate response.

And when that time eventually came, I began squinting at my phone, feeling my eyebrows come together as something major he'd said seemed to click in my mind. Then, all at once, the supporting details washed over me:

"_**You guys know that DJ I've been going out with…Well he works at a club most weekdays after school. He's studying to become a music producer." **_

Rosalie's description of Emmett matched up completely with Young Man's many texts regarding his own roommate. The night of my breakup with Jacob, after Alice and Rosalie had stolen my phone, I learned that Young Man's roommate was a major in music, so he always blasted his new productions whenever he felt like it. In his latest text, he'd mentioned going to a club to meet his roommate.

Then, there had been that one time I'd seen Edward in the café – back when I hadn't known him by name - typing away on his phone. As soon as he'd looked up from his phone, I'd received a text on mine.

_**"You **_**what**_**? Emmett, why would you leave your bag unattended in the first place?... I'm really sorry, Bella. But I have to go help my idiot roommate with his problems." **_Edward's words from tonight rang in my mind, and I could match up his excuse for leaving Jasper's party word-for-word with Young Man's own reasoning. This connection, in particular, was the most coincidental. So coincidental, in fact, that I couldn't believe that Young Man and Edward were two different people.

For a moment, I thought the room had begun shaking, all because of the fact that my phone screen kept moving about in my hands. It took me a while to realize that it was my own body simply freaking out - the stranger I'd been texting didn't seem to be a stranger after all.

There was only one way to find out whether or not Edward and Young Man were just extremely similar people with extremely similar roommates, or – the more likely – that Edward Cullen _was_ Young Man. I typed out a single word in the form of a question:

_Edward?_

And I just waited. Things got to the point where I was holding my phone and simply eyeing it, feeling that an hour had already passed without a response – soon realizing that it had actually only been a minute.

Realizing that I was acting like a crazy person, I set my phone down on my nightstand, going back to _Revenge_, thankful that I soon become so immersed in the show that I forgot all about the phone resting beside me.

Only once the credits of the show popped up did I glance over at my cellular device, clicking the home button and seeing the preview of the message I'd received from Young Man.

So this was the moment of truth.

I read:

**How do you know my name?**

I let out what felt like the longest exhale of my life, simply reading the message over and over, a serious of questions exploding in my head: _Is this really happening? How could this possibly be real? How could Young Man be Edward? How do I feel about this?_

The only answer I was sure of was that although stunned to my core that I'd unknowingly been texting Edward for two weeks straight, I felt almost as if a weight had been brought off my shoulders.

I'd seen Edward in real life, and after getting to know him a bit, I'd realized that I shared greater chemistry with him than anyone I'd ever met. At the same time, I'd also felt a stab of guilt at my newfound interest in Edward since Young Man also seemed to understand me more than anyone else.

But it turns out that I shouldn't have been conflicted since _they were the same person_.

Still, this was hard to process. I took a few moments, holding my head in my hands, feeling lightheaded at the simple fact that all this time of staring at Edward from afar, wondering who he was texting while sitting in the café – all this time, he'd been texting me and I hadn't even realized.

Then again, things hadn't been so obvious to me back then. I hadn't even found out anything about Edward or his roommate until this evening. I couldn't have known until now.

Upon peering down at my phone once more, I startled at the fact that I'd left him hanging. As my thumb began to key in the words, I hesitated to send the text.

_What would he think? Would he assume that I was a stalker?_

No, that couldn't possibly be the case.

I worked out all the details, piecing together all our encounters, seeing whether or not it could be gathered that I was following him around in any way: I'd first seen Edward at the café, and it so happened that on that same night, I'd decided to watch _Bridesmaids_. That's where Young Man had come into the picture and he _knew_ that I'd only messaged him under the assumption that he was Alice.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and I'd met Edward today during my visit to Jasper's building. But there was no way that he could assume I was stalking him because I'd had a legitimate reason for going to meet Jasper.

All of this connecting the dots was giving me a headache, and I was growing more and more anxious of the outcome of me sending this text. But I was bound to run into Edward again, and there was no way I could hide my identity from him. So, I clicked 'send':

_It's Bella. You mentioned Emmett's bag getting stolen, and a bunch of other things started to piece together from there. _

And then I was regretting sending the message because maybe he'd be disappointed that the person he'd been talking to over these past few weeks was me.

I desperately wished there was an unsend button, and that I could just go back to my blissful state of oblivion, not knowing that Young Man was Edward. Of course _I_ was nothing but glad that they were the same person, but I had no idea how _he_ would feel about this.

And after an hour of no reply – this time, it really was an hour – my worst fears were slowly being confirmed.

I was overreacting, and I knew it, but there was a sick feeling in my stomach that I couldn't quite squall that I'd just messed everything up.

* * *

**A/N: *****waits for everyone to throw tomatoes at me***

**So… how was this chapter? **

**I know, Bella's reaction is frustrating, but this is the way that I see the story playing out, and I think you all can guess why Edward doesn't respond to Bella's last text. **

**But, I'll still write the next chapter based on him. **

**Once again, thank you so much for all of the feedback you guys have been giving me! Reviews make me a very happy person. **I was OVERWHELMED by the amount of reviews I received for the last chapter. You all made my day with the lovely responses!****

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Can't thank you guys enough for all of the follows and favourites!**

**Thank you for reviewing: **_**Ellie (Guest), littlestir, Monyetta, sujari6, Bugsmamawolf, brebre99, Em2017, uknown12 (Guest), sandy4321, Belieber Twihard, michael . vandebroek, TriforceandSheikahArts, misstresswillow, gi-freakazoid, Maggie Davis, Meteorite102, S.P. Tripathi, TwilighterSam1989, cbmorefie, R (Guest), Rock N Roll Can Save ur Soul, PLL92gal, lupis93, FictionAddiction734, jansails, Kirsty (Guest), lovinmich, Fullofpassion09, Yali . Page, Youat2intheMorning, hdurgan07, **_**and 3 **_**Guests. **_

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 10

Edward

**How do you know my name?**

I stood up from my desk chair, disregarding my binder for the moment since my mind was currently in overdrive, flipping through all of my conversations with Bridesmaids Girl.

I took a deep gulp.

She'd been triggered into knowing who I was after I'd given her my reasoning behind leaving Jasper's party tonight. The only people who knew that Emmett's bag had gotten stolen were Emmett and Bella.

I stopped pacing momentarily, gripping my phone in my hands. Unless Emmett was a really great actor and this had all been one of his elaborately brilliant pranks on me, the only other person Bridesmaids Girl could possibly be was Bella.

My hands shook.

I began my motions of walking across the wooden flooring in my bedroom, seeing the bubble pop up that indicated that Bridesmaids Girl was typing away.

It stopped after a moment, before about a minute later, a message appeared:

_It's Bella. You mentioned Emmett's bag getting stolen, and a bunch of other things started to piece together from there. _

I could feel my heart pounding from inside my chest, my ears ringing, getting the confirmation from the source herself that the girl who I'd found so interesting via text was the same girl I'd wanted to approach for weeks, but had only gotten the chance this evening.

"Yo Ed!" I heard a voice from directly behind me, which not only made me jump a good foot in the air, but also sent my phone flying to the ground after I got butterfingers.

The room went dead silent after that initial 'thump'. I stared at the fallen cell phone, which was flipped over so that the screen was hidden from view, while Emmett continued with his uncomfortably slow breathing next to me.

"Knocking would've been really helpful, you know," I mumbled, trying to conceal my irritation as I gingerly picked up the phone, examining it with squinted eyes.

"Sorry," he seemed genuinely remorseful; "I didn't think I'd freak you out so much. I just couldn't go to sleep with all of your pacing," he admitted, referring to my restless movements about my bedroom.

A few seconds of expecting let me to find a fissure going straight down the middle of my phone, which I only noticed after titling my iPhone at an angle.

Instead of letting out multiple profanities at my luck, I took a deep breath, wanting to know whether the crack was simply going to be an aesthetic problem, or a technical problem. I let out a low groan after attempting to tap various areas of the screen, seeing that none of the apps were willing to open.

Emmett was looking on at the entire thing, his frown deepening almost as much as mine, and rather than yell and make a scene, I shook my head, shrugging, "It was time I got a new phone, anyway."

I forced a smile, and Emmett knew that I was just sugarcoating things. I didn't want to get angry at him, because it was an honest mistake on his part.

"Again, I'm really sorry. I'll cover the cost," he offered, and I could only roll my eyes, my lips turning upwards. As much as I appreciated the submission, I shook my head, "It's fine, Emmett. It wasn't on purpose, and it was my fault anyway, for not paying attention."

Emmett was already working part time to cover his own tuition fees, and even though he enjoyed his job, making him fund a new phone for me was out of the question.

What I had yet to realize was that his eyebrows had raised at the end of my sentence, as his arms folded across his chest.

_Uh oh_.

"Yeah, why _were_ you so focused on your phone?" he gave me a blatant look of suspicion, before his head tilted towards the ceiling, "Oh God, it isn't that text message girl, is it? I'm telling you, man, if she ends up being a fifty year old mom, don't come crying to me."

I let out a chuckle, half-frustrated at his teasing, half-amused.

"Emmett, I can assure you that she's not a fifty year old mom," my laugh came out stronger, before I began to sober up, "We were actually in the middle of figuring out that we actually know one another."

Immediately afterwards, Emmett held his hands up in a gesture as if to say that he was collecting himself with all of this newfound information, "Whoa. You two _know_ each other? But… you didn't know that you knew each other?"

He paused, closing his eyes, "I'm giving myself a headache." I felt his sentiments exactly. My body was still recovering from its shock over the fact that the two girls in my life had actually only been one.

But judging from Emmett's hard time processing my words, I decided against giving him the full story, instead settling for the truncated version, "Bella – the girl who I was hanging out with before you called me down to the club – is the same girl I've been texting. And yes, we've only just realized."

"No way," his jaw dropped. "The hot girl you've been crushing on also happens to be the girl you've been texting? Is that even possible?"

Emmett continued to stare at me with the slightest bit of wariness, "But how do you know for _sure_ that she's not really a fifty year old mom?"

I threw my hands into the air, "Emmett, could you let that go?"

I shook my head, "She'd literally just sent me a message saying, 'It's Bella' before you scared the living daylights out of me." I gave him a look with narrowed eyes, as my roommate once again looked like he wanted to disappear into the wall. Truly, I wasn't that upset about the broken phone anymore.

I was more aggravated at the fact that I wouldn't get to message Bella back until I got my phone fixed – and looking at my schedule, I realized that I probably wouldn't get that done until Sunday, since Saturday was packed with classes.

"Sorry… again," he muttered, and I shrugged it off, patting him on the back and ushering him to go get some rest.

"I should be getting some sleep as well," I said as an afterthought just as Emmett was leaving the room.

I was still unbelievably jittery; I felt like a wound up toy, once again racing through all of the past conversations I'd shared with Bella – who I hadn't known then, was Bella - soaking up every detail that I'd found interesting before, and now correlating it to a face.

Before, I'd only been able to use a bit of my imagination, and though I fantasized that Bridesmaids Girl – the hilarious girl with the silly accusations that I was her friend, Alice – was someone whose looks were just as striking as her personality, I'd never expected Bridesmaids Girl to be Bella. My feelings for her were now beginning to make a lot of sense; I'd felt connected to her, and familiar with her because she was also Bridesmaids Girl. I'd felt like I'd known her for a while because I actually did.

It was just like finding out that my favorite celebrity was also an incredibly down to earth person.

I'd felt conflicted that my blooming relationship with Bella would be like a slap in the face to Bridesmaids Girl, who, in these past few weeks, had been a great source of comfort and entertainment. I'd often fall asleep talking to her, sometimes about the deepest questions of life, or why Donald Duck never wore pants but wore a towel around his waist after stepping out of the shower. Now, I realized, I had no reason to feel torn.

After shutting down my laptop, stowing away my notes and setting my alarm clock, I slipped into bed, continuing to fidget.

What if this wasn't brilliant news to her as it was for me? What if she'd expected more out of the guy she'd been texting?

She hadn't given anything away about her feelings towards me being the guy she'd been texting, so I couldn't know for sure whether she was happy, not particularly bothered, or just plain dissatisfied.

I sighed, closing my eyes, attempting to empty my mind of all thoughts. It took an hour for me to finally drift off into unconsciousness.

* * *

The fact that my phone had busted wouldn't have been such a huge bother if I were going to see Bella the next day – because really, seeing her in person beat text any day. And frankly, it'd make a lot more sense if we spoke about this in person.

But alas, since I'd only fallen asleep around two o'clock in the morning, and my earliest class began at eight, I planned on relishing every minute of sleep before rushing straight off to class. I wouldn't have time to stop by the café and order my cappuccino – worse, I wouldn't get to talk to Bella and see for myself how she felt about this.

And of course, when Sunday came rolling in, and I'd actually been able to go to the apple store to see if my phone could be salvaged, I'd ended up waiting the entire day, only to find out from the tech guy that it's be better to invest in a new device.

So, I did just that, but once leaving the store, I'd realized that iCloud somehow wasn't backing up my information from my old iPhone onto my new one. As in, my contacts, pictures - all that - was gone.

And of course, by the time I realized that I'd need the tech guy's help once more, I'd raced back to the store, only to be greeted by a large "Closed" sign.

I sighed, _life_.

I couldn't really do anything to speed up the process until Monday, so I just accepted the fact that I'd have to wait yet another day to let Bella know why'd I'd left the conversation how I left it.

Thankfully, the wait wasn't excruciatingly long, and bright and early in the morning, I travelled the short distance to the mall, going into the apple store and greeting the tech guy I'd become so well acquainted with.

After a few minutes of small talk, I handed him my device, wondering aloud if all of my information had really been lost for good, or if there was some genius I.T. thing that he could do to help out the situation.

Fortunately, after a bit of playing around on my phone on his part, he nodded, letting me know that all hope had not been lost – in this case, my contacts.

So, I exited the store, thanking the guy profusely, plopping myself on the sofa outside of the store. Then, I scrolled through my contact list, highlighting the name "Bridesmaids Girl" and clicking the option to text her. I knew that apologies would be better explained in person, so I settled for a simple suggestion:

**Can I meet you somewhere? Maybe at the park bench?**

I would've suggested the café, but this wasn't a conversation I would've liked to engage in around other people. Hopefully, she'd feel the same way.

It took a while for her to answer – or maybe it was just because I was anticipating her response that I'd felt time drag on. My phone dinged:

_Um, sure. I'll be there in ten minutes. _

I breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing until that point that I'd felt a great deal of tension in my body.

I hadn't really given much thought into it, but if Bella had truly been uncomfortable with my identity, she could've easily refused to see me, making up an excuse. So, the fact that she'd agreed had to at least mean that she hadn't completely shut off.

The park was a five-minute walk from the café, so I figured I'd leave the mall now to grab us both some coffee there – I wasn't opposed to getting Starbucks from the mall, but I wasn't sure about Bella, so going to the café seemed like the safest option.

It took me about eight minutes to get to the café, but thankfully, it was sparsely crowded, so I arrived at the front of the line.

"Angela, right?" I asked the spectacle-clad brunette who worked the mornings at the coffee shop.

She seemed thoroughly surprised that I was making conversation with her, and I could do little to stop myself from feeling guilty that I never bothered to venture past the polite "Hello, how are you?" to anyone in customer service.

"Yeah, I am. How can I help you?" she spoke slowly, with a look of deep curiosity plastered across her face.

I gave a small smile, "I'm Edward." Her shock grew tenfold when I stretched out my hand for her to shake. I truly felt awful for only making an effort to be friendly because I wanted something in return, but Angela seemed like the type of girl who would take it all in a stride.

"You're friends with Bella, right?" A nod from her allowed me to continue, "Well, I'm going to meet her now and I figured I'd buy her a cup of coffee. Do you know what she normally has?"

Slowly, a smile began to break out across the cashier's face, seeming pleased by this information as she answered, "A vanilla latte. And you have a cappuccino, if I remember correctly?"

She was working by herself today since it was relatively slow, and she quickly began to mark the cups as I handed her the dollars, "Thank you very much, Angela."

The smile remained fixed on her face, "No worries, Edward. I hope Bella enjoys the treat."

It took less than five minutes for her to whip up the drinks, handing me the paper cups as I once again thanked her, using my shoulder to push open the door since my hands were taken.

I was pretty grateful for the warmth generated by the steaming cups of coffee in my palms, warming me up in the frigid air. The sun was out and bright, so it helped with the temperature regulation as well.

From a distance, I could spot Bella turning as she plopped herself on the same bench that we'd visited just a few nights ago. Her cheeks were rosy, her mahogany hair wavy and her hands were folded in her lap. A smile tugged at my lips, and I had to look away to calm my crazy emotions down.

"Hey," I greeted, finally reaching her as she looked up, not having expected me to arrive so quickly.

A nervous smile found its way across her lips, and I desperately tried not to read too much into it.

Instead, I handed her the cup of coffee, which had lost a bit of warmth, but not too much.

"Thank you," she said softly, startled once she took a sip and realized that it was her choice of drink. I took the seat next to her, glancing at the occasional passerby, as we both continued drinking our coffees, not in rush to start the conversation.

"So," I started after a few minutes of silence, smiling.

Her lips twitched, "So."

"So you're the girl I've been texting for the past three weeks," I began, and I could see as Bella's eyes averted.

"And you're the guy I've been texting for the past three weeks. It seems… unreal, but it makes a lot of sense," she finished, finally looking over at me as I nodded – she'd taken the words right out of my mouth.

"I want you to know that I had no idea who you were until Friday night when you sent me that text about Emmett. When I messaged you that first time, it really _was_ an accident," it seemed to have been something she'd wanted to clear up, once and for all, though the thought had never once crossed my mind.

"I know that. You seemed completely set on the idea that I was your friend, Alice. I didn't think you were lying about that," I smiled when her cheeks tinted, apparently remembering her spiel.

"I just didn't want you to think I was a stalker or anything," she said, trying to act nonchalant, looking down at her polished fingernails, as I bit my lip to hold in my laugh. _She'd been worried about _that_ of all things?_

To be honest, now that I thought of it, I wouldn't have necessarily minded if she was stalking me. Which is probably extremely weird to say, but.

"I didn't think you were," I remarked, causing her eyes to focus on mine, seeming deeply confused about something.

"I'll probably come off as really pathetic and clingy when I ask this, but, if that's the case, why'd you take so long to reply to my message?" I had to bite the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from smiling. In the end, a small grin found its way onto my face. She'd actually gotten worried that I was ignoring her on purpose. I mean, I'd had my apology ready and all, but I hadn't expected a reaction like this out of her.

"Right when you sent that text, Emmett popped up out of nowhere and scared the crap out of me. So much so, that I ended up dropping my phone - hard. I couldn't get it fixed until yesterday because my day was really packed on Saturday. I ended up getting a new phone, and basically, there were a lot of complications, but I got it all sorted out this morning," I pulled out the sleek new iPhone, and I saw the signs of realization dawning on Bella as her mouth form into a small 'o'. I hadn't been radio silent on purpose – it was tough for me to go those days without texting her.

At the same time, I figured she wouldn't really be bothered if I'd been absent from her life for a couple of days, but apparently, I'd been wrong – in this case, being wrong was a really good thing.

"I really wanted to see you in person and get everything confirmed, once and for all. And I guess I have. You're _really_ Bridesmaids Girl," just as the last of the words left my mouth, I felt the blood rush to my face. Bella's eyebrow quirked, and a small smile etched itself on her lips.

"Bridesmaids girl? Was that your nickname for me?" she giggled, covering her mouth adorably as it was my turn to avert my eyes, shrugging.

"I wanted to save it as something obvious, so that I knew exactly who I was talking to," I chuckled, as Bella continued to smile, obviously amused.

"Well, if I'm being completely honest, Bridesmaids Girl was better than my nickname for you. I called you Young Man, you know, because of your weird fear of being thought of as forty years old," she laughed, and it was my turn to give her a look of total amusement.

"I'm happy it wasn't anything embarrassing, like Alice 2.0," I admitted as her eyes widened, as if she'd missed the greatest opportunity in her life.

"Oh my gosh, that would've been _such_ a good name!" her jaw dropped open and I could only laugh along with her, as a few passersby smiled towards us.

When the laughter died down, and I'd come back to the bench after throwing out our empty coffee cups, Bella began to bite down on her bottom lip, making my brain turn to mush. When I focused on her plump pink lips, I could feel my mind going to places that I didn't want it to go, so I focused on her deep brown eyes instead – equally as enrapturing, though not as distracting.

"Is this weird for you?" she spoke up, once again looking uneasy to hear my response.

Judging from her reaction, she was fearful about my answer, which either meant that she felt weird and wanted the reassurance that this was weird for me too, or the opposite.

I wanted to be honest. "No," I paused, shaking my head for emphasis. I could see some of her discomfort lift away after hearing me utter that single word, and I hoped that that meant that this wasn't strange for her either.

"So you're not disappointed that I'm the girl you've been texting?" for a single moment, I thought that this was her way of letting me know that _she_ was disappointed.

And then I really thought about it – reflected back on her nervousness at meeting me, her reaction that I'd taken days to reply to her, her worry that this situation was weird for me, that I was disappointed. _She_ felt insecure that I'd expected more of her. The thought itself was ludicrous, especially because she'd exceeded all of my expectations.

"No," I smiled softly, gazing intently at her, still seeing the worry prominent in her eyes. _Did she think that I was lying? _

I glanced down at her lips for a fraction of a second, focusing back on her emotion-filled brown eyes, feeling my heart begin to speed up.

"I'm relieved," I replied honestly, already feeling my mouth go dry that I was being so obvious about my feelings for her. I was relieved that she was Bridesmaids Girl because I'd come to like both of them.

Apparently, she didn't get it, her eyebrows scrunching together, "Why?"

I'd spent the past few weeks figuratively shaking in my boots, too fearful to approach this pretty girl, too shy to tell her about the way she made me feel. And I realized that there was no way I'd ever get what I wanted if I never acted on my feelings. If I shoved them down and pretended they didn't exist, Bella would probably find a guy who'd knock her off her feet – a guy who wasn't me.

"Because now I don't feel guilty about doing this," my right hand cupped the left side of her face, my thumb brushed her cheek briefly, before I sucked up all of my fears and plunged right into the water.

I pressed my lips against hers, feeling all kinds of euphoric when I realized that her lips were softer than I'd ever expected. I felt myself melt into the kiss.

Of course, a moment later, I wanted to throw myself under a bus, realizing that my mental pep talk had only set me up for failure. In the next second, I felt Bella's hand on my chest, and I waited for her to push me off, feeling that the wait was unbearable. I was a millisecond away from pulling back myself. The apology was bubbling on my tongue.

But then she kissed me back. Her plump lips pressed against mine, and her grip on my coat tightened. And if I could, I would've been up in the air, floating in this bubble of happiness because she felt something for me as well.

I didn't want to do anything to overstep my boundaries, so I forced myself to break away, settling to brush my lips against hers, watching as her eyes remained closed, a sweet smile on her lips.

"Are you doing anything this weekend?" I said softly, feeling as if speaking any louder would break the peace and stillness of the moment.

"No. Why do you ask?" her eyes blinked open, and her smile was growing. She knew why, but I didn't blame her for wanting me to say the words out loud.

"I'd like to take you out on a date."

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhhhh. **

**So. I'm kind of freaking out. **

**Honest opinions on this chapter? Let me know if you liked it/hated it. What were your favourite parts? And I just wanted to point out that if any of think they're moving too fast, they have technically "known" each other for weeks. Aaaaand yeah, the kiss was really innocent. But still, feel free to give me your thoughts!**

**Thank you so so much for all of the crazy, lovely reviews this story has been receiving. I appreciate them more than you guys can imagine!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you for the follows &amp; favourites!**

**And thank you for reviewing: **_**Maggie Davis, SunShine1794, KizzaKat, Shmandypants28, Fullofpassion09, brebre99, cbmorefie, Em2017, sujari6, hdurgan07, michael . vandebroek, gi-freakazoid, sandy4321, BehindTheEyes, J Lisa, lupis93, TwilighterSam1989, twiannfav, UnseenAngel17, 2000, morena . davidson . 3, WrittenOlympic, Bugsmamawolf, littlestir, misstresswillow, Yali . Page, Mrs. Spiderman Penguin, Monyetta, **_**and 4 **_**Guests!**_

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 11

Bella 

I hadn't realized how much I'd wanted, and been waiting for Edward to kiss me until he actually did.

Naturally, I imagined that I was dreaming at first, but then I justified that there was no possible way I could've pictured the feel of his lips to be so smooth and real, as well as the butterflies exploding in my stomach as his hand had cupped my cheek.

Rather than continue to sit on the bench, unmoving, as his lips gently grazed mine, I'd gotten some sense to react before Edward assumed that I didn't want him kissing me - because I did, more than he knew it.

My hand grasped his jacket, but I was still stalling on the actual "kissing him back" part. The only person I'd ever kissed at this point had been Jacob, and I'd always been self-conscious of the fact that I didn't really know what I was doing and whether or not I was doing it right.

But my hand on Edward's chest seemed to trigger him to freeze, and swiftly, I could feel the signs of him beginning to pull away. If I didn't push back my fears and just go for it – finally do what I'd been dreaming of doing since that day I'd seen him in the café – he'd probably be reluctant to ever kiss me again. And that was a chance I was not willing to take.

So in one fluid motion, I began to press my lips back onto his. And it was weirdly delightful how naturally my body seemed to react from there. I was on the verge of deepening the kiss, but it seemed that something inside both of us told us that we should take things slow – well, as slow as we could now.

My eyes remained shut, hearing him breathing deeply, my lips still tingling from the surprising act.

A soft murmur from him broke me out of my dizzying thoughts: "Are you doing anything this weekend?"

I had a pretty good idea of where he was going with this, but I didn't want to infer his words incorrectly and make myself look like an idiot, "No. Why do you ask?" my eyes slid open, gazing into his dazzling emerald orbs. A smile was growing on my lips, and I could see the hints of his crooked grin making an appearance.

"I'd like to take you out on a date."

Though I'd been expecting it, it still sent a pleasant thrill up my spine hearing it come out of his mouth.

Edward just seemed like the kind of guy who'd only make a move if he wanted things to progress after it, but still, I was more than glad for the reassurance.

"Okay," I smiled, generating a massive grin out of him.

"Really?" he looked beyond himself with happiness, and the thought that he had wanted this as much as I had made me all the more pleased at how everything was beginning to play out.

"I'd love to go out with you," I once again found myself becoming more and more lost in his eyes, "though, you probably should've figured that out by now," I continued, referring to the kiss, which had blatantly pointed out my feelings for Edward.

Immediately, he began to chuckle, green eyes sparkling, "True."

After that, the conversation flowed, and we talked mainly about the things that we'd connected our text version selves and our real life selves with.

He asked me about the famous Rosalie - without whom, I would've never even gotten Edward's number – as well as Alice, the friend who I'd mistaken Edward for.

"They were actually really bummed out that they hadn't gotten the chance to meet you at Jasper's party. But I feel like you'd have to mentally prepare yourself before dealing with their enthusiasm," I laughed, further explaining Alice's bubbly persona, and Rosalie's way of coming off as strong before she began to warm up to you.

Then it seemed to click in my head that Edward still wasn't aware of the fact that our roommates were dating one another, so I dropped him a hint, "Actually… you might end up meeting Rosalie a lot sooner than later."

Subsequently being met with a blank stare, I bit my lip, "Rosalie was the reason I figured out who you were so quickly. She told me that the guy she's been going around with works most nights at a club. During the day, he studies music production."

It took less than ten seconds before Edward's mouth began to open, "Wait. Emmett is dating your friend?" then his eyes squinted, "Is she a blonde?"

I was surprised at this piece of information, nodding, wondering if he'd met Rosalie already. "He goes on and on about her all the time. And usually, he can't settle down with a girl, but apparently she has him wrapped around her finger."

That sounded pretty much like Rosalie to me, causing me to giggle, expressing my total agreement on the matter.

I was trying to run away – quite the opposite actually – but I noticed that it was approaching the early afternoon, and from the buzzes in my pocket, I realized that Alice and Rosalie hadn't forgotten about our plans to meet for something to eat.

I wanted to invite Edward, but from the subtle way _he_ began to glance at his watch, I realized that he probably had something to do as well.

"I made plans to meet up with Rose and Alice for lunch, and they're already texting me, so I'll probably start heading out," I spoke up, after reading some of the messages from Alice asking if I was on my way. She'd only arrived at the restaurant a few minutes ago, and she was already getting antsy.

"Sure," he was understanding, "I have class in half and hour, so I guess I should be on my way, too."

He passed his right hand through the large, unruly tufts of his hair, ruffling the bronze mess.

_Cue swoon_.

Honestly, he didn't even seem to be trying to be so attractive. He was just effortlessly gorgeous – which, if possible, made him even more gorgeous in my eyes. My eyes, by the way, were currently clouded over. I had to force myself to snap back into reality – much as I always did around Edward.

He stood from the bench first, waiting until I was finished replying to Alice's ceaseless messaging and beginning to stand, facing his direction.

Once again, the fact that he had to look down at me, and I, up to him, made me feel like he was a giant towering over me – when in reality, he probably only had five or six inches on me.

"I'll see you on Saturday," he smiled, bending down and planting a sweet kiss on my cheek, causing a blush to bloom in the spot his lips had touched. The irony in that situation was too much. It seemed that I had been less shy when he'd kissed me full on the lips than on the cheek. Where was the logic in that?

"Bye," I said, a little breathily, causing a grin to flash across his face momentarily before we began to separate, walking in opposite directions to get to our respective destinations, me still touching my lips to make sure it hadn't all been a dream.

* * *

"I have a date on Saturday," I blurted out, once seated at the Chinese restaurant, facing Rosalie and Alice, both sitting on the other side of the table.

Immediately, Rosalie began to choke on her dumpling, and Alice distractedly began to pat her back while staring at me with wide eyes.

"Well don't just leave us hanging! When did this happen? And with who? Oh my gosh, is it that guy you ditched Jasper's party for?" Alice began to tilt her head to one side as Rosalie took several sips of her water, still coughing.

"It happened about an hour ago. Edward asked me out – so yes, the guy I was with during Jasper's party – and I've never been this excited, or nervous in my entire life," I answered her questions, adding in my own opinion of the entire ordeal into the mix.

"Wait, so how did this all happen?" Rosalie cleared her throat, speaking up for the first time, as I began to open my mouth, before snapping it shut.

I realized that in order for them to understand the finer details, I'd have to give them the entire story – how Edward was actually my text buddy, Young Man.

"It's a long story," I frowned, starting to laugh when they both stared at me unblinking.

"We've got time," Alice piped up, as I let out a deep sigh, launching into all of the twists and turns of it, eventually coming to the kiss.

"Geez, I didn't realize he was so smooth," Rosalie applauded Edward after hearing what he'd said right before capturing my lips with his.

"Is he picking you up at the apartment?" she continued, finishing her steamed vegetables as I shrugged, chowing down on my meal of lo mein.

"Dunno," I paused, swallowing, "I guess I'll figure that out later on in the week. Why does that matter?"

Rosalie nonchalantly took a sip of water, "Because I need to approve of him before letting you go out with him. Alice, you're invited to be there as well. For all we know, Bella, he could be a serial killer."

My eyes went to the ceiling at her thought process, "He's not a serial killer."

Alice's eyebrows rose to her hairline as she pointed a finger towards me, "You say that now."

There was no possible way I could prolong the interaction between my friends and Edward because that would mean pushing back my long-awaited date. I simply made a mental note to warn Edward not to worry too much when my friends attacked him and played the "protective father" role.

To be fair, I'd never really seen them flip the switch as I'd been in a relationship for the duration of our entire friendship. I'd only heard talks of how Rosalie had interrogated Jasper before Alice's first date with him. And well, Rosalie was a special case. Since the guys she tended to date were all mainly flings, as well as the fact that she could more than take care of herself, there'd never been a chance for interrogations from Alice and myself.

Though, now that Emmett was in the picture, all of that was going to change. Rosalie was already planning for us to finally meet her date, who she could actually see herself in a serious relationship with.

I mean, not that their opinions would change my desire to go out with Edward in any way, but still, I couldn't take this away from them. I had to go along with it.

"Fine," I relented, about to make a motion to the waitress that we were ready for the bill when my eyes wandered to the door, which had just swung open to reveal a tall, tanned Native American boy with short black hair.

I averted my eyes immediately, even going so far as to lean slightly to my left, out of his vision. Still, my efforts ended up being futile.

I shut my eyes briefly, hoping to God that the greeting would be civil.

And it was.

"Fancy seeing you here," he walked towards our table, saying hello after excusing himself from the hostess at the front.

His body angled towards Alice and Rosalie, and he gave a pleasant smile, "Alice," which she returned, followed by a look of complete distaste, "Rosemary."

Rosalie was visibly trying not to fume, knowing that he was actively pressing her buttons. Though it was obviously working to piss her off, she tried not to let it show.

Jacob and Rosalie had never really gotten along throughout the duration of our relationship. They rarely spent time together, and that was mostly due to my coordination because whenever they did, it was usually snarky comments and angry retorts for conversation.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Jacob asked, purposely looking directly towards me, knowing that I wouldn't say no.

"Actually, we were just about to get the bill, so you can move along," Rosalie made a motion with her hand, shooing him away to exaggerate her point, as Alice covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. They had both interrupted me before I could even open my mouth to give him an answer.

Of course, when I was dating Jacob, Rosalie had actually made an effort to tone her dislike for him down – mind you, her toned down version of being rude was still terribly intimidating – but of course now that there was no relationship, she was pretty much going all out.

Regardless of our broken up status, I felt bad for ostracizing Jacob, knowing that if the roles were reversed, I'd feel incredibly hurt. Even though things between us hadn't ended on the best of terms, I wasn't going to actively be discourteous towards him.

Jacob turned, posing the question directly to me, "Bella?"

It was going to be ridiculously uncomfortable having him sit beside me, but I knew that if I said 'no', Charlie would probably hear something through the grapevine and give me a lecture about treating people with respect.

Speaking of Charlie, he had been most upset when I'd eventually relayed the news of the end of my four-year relationship. In his eyes, Jacob had seemed like a superb, well-mannered kid – he was, most of the time, but unfortunately for him, we just hadn't been compatible… at all.

"Sure, Jacob," I gave a stiff smile, avoiding all eye-contact with Rosalie, but already feeling the heat of her stare on me.

Although having Jacob sit next to me meant absolutely nothing to me – no feelings were brought up; I didn't want to mend our relationship whatsoever – it meant a heck of a lot to Rose, who probably felt that he was going to weasel himself back into my life.

"Listen, douchebag. Bella is a sweet girl. Often times, she's _too_ sweet and allows people to step all over her. Well guess what? I'm going to say this on behalf of her: if you don't get your butt off that chair in the next five seconds, I will make sure to cut off that thing that allows you to procreate. I will not let you stress out my friend's life even more than you've already done," there was absolutely no shred of kindness in her voice. Every word was cold, sending a shock through my body even though the words hadn't been directed towards me.

I glanced over at Jacob, noting that although his poker face remained intact, his colour had paled ever so slightly.

What I'd also noticed about Jacob in our relationship was that he had some sort of superiority complex where he always had to win an argument, even if his opinion was utter crap and he knew it. It just so happened that in this case, his opinion was actually pretty relevant.

"Stress out _her_ life? Are you forgetting that she's the one who strung me on for the past four years? Four years of my life being nothing but the perfect boyfriend; attending to all of her needs, making sure she was happy –" Jacob continued to jab a finger in my direction and I tried not to let it show how every single one of his words stung since I felt that they were all true.

Nevertheless, I didn't had to hear more since Rosalie was my savior, as always, "Newsflash: she wasn't happy. And if you really were 'the perfect boyfriend' " she made air quotes around the words, "like you say you were, you would've noticed that. So don't you _dare_ blame this on her."

Her stormy grey were wild, showing nothing but pure loathing as they focused on him.

Alice and I simply sat there, eyes bouncing from one person to the other, completely silent.

"Here's your bill. Would you like to pay with credit or cash?" the waitress popped up, clearly not picking up on the tension and the serious discussion that was currently occurring.

Alice jumped at the chance of a break, taking the bill in her hands and glancing at the amount. Before I could protest that I should see the bill and put up something towards it, she handed the waitress her credit card, which she quickly used to charge the bill onto.

"Alright, so we're going to head out now. Always a pleasure seeing you, Jacob," Alice stood from her seat, forcibly having to pull Rosalie out of hers, while I reluctantly stood up.

I had no words to say to Jacob that could possibly be appropriate for the situation, especially after his words pertaining to me. It was true; I had technically strung him on for years, but honestly, it was only because I had been confused about my feelings towards him until recently.

"Take care, Jacob," I said, slinging my satchel onto my shoulder and following Alice and Rosalie out of the restaurant.

"I really hope you didn't actually listen to that idiot and take his words to heart. Because it's all a pack of bull. You didn't actively lead him on, Bella. We all know how conflicted you were about staying in that relationship, and how unhealthy it was for you. _He_ should've picked up on your feelings and talked about it," as soon as we were out the door, Rosalie had turned towards me, looking me dead in the eye to show that she was speaking nothing but the truth.

I had blamed myself for causing Jacob a lot of unnecessary hurt – I knew I could've saved him from feeling all of this anger and betrayal if I'd ended things sooner - but at the same time, I was grateful for Rosalie's arguments, because it allowed me to let go of some of that guilt and see it from an outsider's perspective.

"We're proud of you for finally getting out of the relationship and finding someone who I'm certain is one hundred and ten times better," Alice beamed, wrapping me in a hug. A few seconds later, Rosalie joined, making me not only feel a hundred times better about the situation with Jacob, but also providing me with much appreciated boy heat since the temperature seemed to be dropping rapidly in New Hampshire.

"Thanks guys," I hugged then back, "Love you." I really felt that I'd found two gems of friends in these girls. I probably wouldn't have had the strength to even go through with the breakup if I hadn't known that they would've given me the support I needed. In the end, they'd given me more sustenance than I could've ever imagined.

* * *

The rest of the day was nowhere near as eventful, but I was grateful for the lack of drama in my boring lecture hall.

I'd been more than thrilled when I'd received a text while the male professor had gone off topic, somehow finding himself talking about his struggles as a low-paid farmer at one point of his life. Though admirable, it had nothing to do with women's rights.

**Just arrived home from my last class :) what are you up to?**

I noted, with a subtle laugh that I still had Edward's contact saved under 'Young Man'.

_Currently listening to my lecturer drone on about something that has nothing to do with our topic… *sigh* it's been a long day, and I just want it to be Saturday already. _

Too bold? Maybe. But at this point, I didn't care. I was pretty sure that Edward knew the rapid rate at which my feelings for him were growing, so I didn't really feel to censor myself.

**I'm not going to go into details of how glad I am that you're looking forward to Saturday… Are you alright, though? **

A smile tugged at my lips, feeling this undeniable warmth in my heart that he hadn't just skipped over that part of my text. His concern for my well-being was unexpectedly wonderful, though it really wasn't an issue he should've worried about.

_:) I'm perfectly fine. It really wasn't a big deal, but it stressed me out at the time. Really, I'm great now. Thank you, though. _

I already knew that Edward would get the hint that I didn't want to elaborate on the matter, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings and make it seem like I was keeping something important from him. Because to me, Jacob had no importance in my life – not anymore anyway.

The thought sent an idea through me, and speedily, I began scrolling through my contact list, highlighting the name "Jacob Black". With one click, I deleted the number.

Then I scrolled down a bit more, highlighting "Young Man" and changing the name to "Edward Cullen". I'd probably still leave Young Man as a nickname, though. Those were memories that I definitely didn't want to let go of.

* * *

**A/N: So here was your Bella's point of view! **

**How'd you guys like the little banter between Jacob and Rosalie? **

**Really sorry for the late-ish update, but I had a huge presentation today so for the majority of this week, I was spending time working on/prepping for it. **

**Anyway! Thank you so much again for all of the feedback I've been getting for the story. Feel free to leave me some more - good, constructive, it's all appreciated!**

**P.S. have any of you seen the 50 shades of grey trailer? I was extremely reluctant to watch even that, but I was surprised. Well to be honest, the trailer doesn't show a fraction of the graphic scenes in the movie, which is probably why it actually looked pretty mild. BUT there's loads of controversy surrounding this whole movie franchise, so I'm just gonna stop right here haha. The guy is super hot though! **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you for the follows &amp; favourites!**

**And thanks to these lovely people for reviewing: **_**NephilimKyla, TwilighterSam1989, J Lisa, sujari6, misstresswillow, Monyetta, michael . vandebroek, gi-freakzoid, jansails, SunShine1794, brebre99, PrankingProdigy, Sparrows lass (Guest), Em2017, anon (Guest), Fullofpassion09, WrittenOlympic, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 12

Bella

If it weren't for Rosalie and Alice's help, I probably would've never gotten ready for the date with Edward on time.

Just like I'd imagined, he'd asked for directions to my apartment later on in the week, which I'd willingly given out, before informing me that he'd pick me up at six on Saturday evening.

I'd only decided to start getting ready at four, and by the time Rosalie and Alice had arrived – an hour later – the only progress I'd made was taking a shower. My hair was still damp as I searched through my closet, trying on dress after dress, becoming ridiculously indecisive.

I was never _that_ girl who took ages to choose an outfit, taking her time with hair and make-up. Usually, I just threw on the first decent looking thing to wear, blow-drying my hair, and applying a hint of foundation if I was really trying to go all out.

It wasn't that I had anything against hair and make-up being properly done. I admired Rose and Alice tremendously for always looking so effortlessly put-together, wishing I could duplicate their looks minus the effort. That was my problem; I was simply too lazy sometimes to try to beautify myself.

Upon seeing me visibly disheveled, hair still being towel-dried, Alice began rummaging through my closet, seeming to know exactly what she was looking for and where she would find it.

Rosalie grabbed the curling iron she had gotten me for Christmas the previous year – which I never used – setting it next to the blow dryer while beginning to shuffle through my eye shadow palettes.

I'd expected some laughter of the sort, or teasing comments regarding the fact that I had lost my cool over a guy. But I guessed they both understood my frustration and weren't interested in adding to it.

"How much time do we have?" Rosalie set out a silver eye shadow set, organizing the brushes after Alice had brought out a cream-coloured dress from the literal depths of my closet. My mother had gotten me that dress for my birthday a few years back, but I'd never had the confidence to wear it. It was a cap-sleeve dress hugging my torso before flaring out in an A-line design.

"Just under an hour," Alice informed.

Mind you, both girls would've been willing to spend two hours perfecting my look even if I meant Edward was forced to wait, but they knew that that would mean going against my wishes. Instead, they worked with the time they were given.

Rosalie set me down in the chair situated in front of the dresser, beginning to blow dry my hair, taking less than ten minutes to get that job done. Then, she began pinning up my hair, taking small sections and twisting it around the thin curling iron.

In the meantime, Alice ensured that my face was moisturized and primed before applying the thinnest layer of foundation to my face, knowing how much I always cringed whenever make-up looked too cake-y.

She set the foundation before beginning her work on my eyes. From what I could tell, she interchanged between silver and black, probably working on giving me a smoky eye. Adding on a bit of mascara, she decided that she was finished with the eyes, and began lining my lips with a nude pencil.

Rosalie finished my hair just a few minutes before Alice was content with the make-up, letting the curls fall so that my hair was given that extra volume and bounce.

I slipped into my dress, ridiculously nervous about the complete look, and whether or not I'd be able to pull the look off, or appear to be trying way too hard.

"Oh relax, Bella. When have we ever failed you?" Rosalie crossed her arms over her chest, giving a sly smirk as if reading my mind. I could only look guilty as I slipped my feet into the black strappy platform heels – that thankfully, weren't unbearably high.

I took one look in the full-length mirror, openly gaping at myself as my friends looked smug.

Alice giggled, "Edward's going to have a heart attack."

* * *

I'd been left with just enough time to grab a black trench coat and a matching purse, hearing a gentle knock at the door.

I hadn't forgotten the real reason that Alice and Rosalie had been waiting around until Edward had arrived, but I'd been hoping that with all of the fuss about my appearance, the girls would've forgotten all about interrogating him.

Apparently not.

"I'll get it," Alice sang, running off to answer the door as I hurriedly followed in my heels, warning her not to be too… well, _Alice_.

She wrenched the door open, and I was still attempting to get a feel for the heels as Rosalie passed me straight, popping in front of the door as well.

I sighed, pausing in my hurry, and just deciding to walk as normal seeing as I couldn't possibly rush the process.

"Hi, you must be Edward. I'm Alice," she greeted, shaking Edward's hand eagerly as he gave a polite "Pleasure to meet you."

Rosalie followed suit, inviting Edward in as my heart began to thump in my chest for no apparent reason. Well, actually, there was a reason. I was nervous to see whether he'd like the way I'd dressed up.

I watched as he rounded the corner to the kitchen; dressed in a pair of black pants, dress shoes, and a navy long-sleeved shirt that was rolled up to the elbows. _Male model, much?_

He'd been making polite conversation with the girls, who so far, seemed thrilled with the information they had gathered about him. But his footsteps immediately halted when his eyes fell on me, trailing from my face down to my legs,

I could already feel my cheeks beginning to heat up.

"Beautiful," I heard him murmur, before seeming to snap out of his crossing the distance between us, still having to look down at me as he gave me a proper greeting. Even in heels, I could still see how he had a few inches of height on me, showing just how ridiculously tall he was.

"You look stunning as always, Bella," he complimented me, taking my hand in his and kissing the back of it. I was dizzy under his piercing gaze, and the girls seemed to notice, coughing to hide their giggles.

"So you've finally met my friends, Alice, and Rosalie," I smiled, turning to face the girls as he followed suit, still holding my hand in his grasp.

"So, Edward. Jasper and Bella have told me nothing but flattering things about you, but I'll be judge of whether or not you're good enough to date my best friend," Alice's eyes narrowed as Edward looked a little taken aback, seeming to bite the inside of his mouth to hold in a laugh.

It was pretty amusing that he was getting threatened by someone a whole foot and a half shorter than him, but he went along easily with it. He seemed to understand exactly where they were coming from, which helped the situation a lot.

"What do want to know?" he asked, settling himself at the kitchen table as I grabbed the seat beside him, hoping that my friends wouldn't be taking up too much time with this.

"What are your intentions with Bella?" Alice began, sitting down on one of the high chairs.

I resisted my urge to do a face palm, knowing she would kill me if I happened to mess up the make-up, but Edward's smile was nothing short of radiant, and he answered smoothly, "To take her out on a proper date so that we can learn more about each other. That's the main thing I want to do – spend time getting to know her."

Rosalie, I could tell, hiding her surprise, trying hard to still look threatening even after his honest reply, "Emmett tells me that he's tried setting you up with girl after girl, but you've always said no. What's different about Bella?"

She'd failed to give me this piece of information, and I was pretty shocked to hear that Emmett had been attempting to play matchmaker for Edward, all to no avail. Were these the girls that Edward had mentioned before? The ones that never seemed to care to know him? I assumed so from the apparent look of distaste on his face.

"Those girls were all pretty, all relatively smart, but they all wanted the same thing from me. They wanted my attention for the sole purpose of brandishing me like a trophy in front of their friends. First of all, when I got into messaging Bella, I was pulled in by her humor and her wit. When I met her in person… well, I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She's something else," I felt my heart beating faster than a hummingbird's, my face flushing from the stare he was currently sending my way.

"When things start getting serious between you two, are you going to keep her all to yourself, or are you going to make sure she still spends a sufficient amount of time with us?" Alice asked, and Edward knew fully well that she only desired one answer. I was thankful that he didn't react to the fact that Alice had said "When" we got serious, as opposed to "If" we got serious.

"Well I definitely wouldn't force her to drift away from her friends, if that's what you're implying. From all of our connections – you dating Jasper, and you dating Emmett," he gestured to Alice, then Rose, "I can already see the group of us going on to spend a lot of time together, so I really doubt things would ever have to come to that."

I was actually amazed at this point at how well Edward had handled the interview of sorts, watching Rosalie and Alice both relent. "Your answers have been sufficient. You're free to go," Alice pursed her lips as Edward and I both grinned, standing and making a move to leave.

I gave both of the girls hugs before leaving, and Edward said a pleasant goodbye to them, before leading me out the door.

"Your friends are definitely protective of you," he gathered, giving me a smile as I shot him an apologetic look, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

Immediately, he began shaking his head, "No, no. I meant that in a good way. It's great that they screen your dates."

_Well, hopefully, there won't be any more guys to screen_, I thought to myself, trying not to be that crazy person who thinks too far ahead in a relationship, but somehow not being able to control myself.

It hadn't been long, but already I couldn't envision myself being with anyone else but Edward. I'd gotten a taste of him, and I wasn't willing to give him up.

"That's true," I smiled a little to myself as I was led onto the elevator, down to the basement level.

We walked past a few cars before stopping right in front of a sleek silver Volvo, which I figured belonged to Edward.

"We're going somewhere far?" I asked, wanting to get a hint as to where he was taking me, but getting nothing out of Edward at this time.

"Kind of, but not too far," he answered vaguely, and I watched as he opened the passenger side door for me, closing it once I was seated inside, going around to his side to start the engine.

He pulled out of the parking space, driving up the hill out of the parking garage and onto the streets, finding his way along roads and eventually highways, as the snow-covered trees filled my vision.

The car was filled with nothing but silence, until Edward made a move to turn on the stereo. The sound of Debussy immediately floated through my ears, and Edward, panicking, made to switch the CD.

I stopped his motion with my own hand, "No, this is perfect. I didn't know you were a fan of classical music."

Edward was facing the road, naturally, but he turned his head slightly, giving me a lot of complete astonishment.

"You're into classical music?" he asked, as I smiled, giving my assent.

"I can see that in you, but I have to admit that I never expected it. Most people don't take a liking to this kind of music," he explained, as I nodded, knowing all too well what he meant.

I'd always have to listen to Haydn and Vivaldi through my headphones because Rosalie always felt to rip her ears out when I played the music through my speakers.

After a few minutes of soothing music, I began to peep the River Dart, gaining my bearings and getting an idea of where Edward planned to take me.

The car crunched on gravel as we pulled up to refined-looking restaurant, receiving a greeting from the hostess once pushing open the door.

"Reservation for two, under Cullen," Edward spoke once saying a quick "Good evening" to the chipper-looking blonde.

She skimmed the page, seeming to find the name, flashing Edward a flirty smile and completely ignoring me. _Rude_.

"Follow me."

Our table was located near the far right corner of the room, with a window overlooking the calm, unmoving river and all of the foliage surrounding it. It was definitely the most peaceful setting I'd ever been in.

"Your waiter will be right with you," she smiled, presenting us with our menus, casting a look towards Edward that made me severely uncomfortable, but one that he didn't even seem to take notice of. Hm.

I opened the menu, leafing through it as I gathered an idea of what I would be interested in having, deciding between two dishes when the waiter arrived.

"Good evening. I'm Paul, and I'll be your server this evening. Can I get you two something to drink?" he asked politely, hands clasped in front of his shirt, and I immediately enjoyed his overall presence compared to the hostess's.

"Do you drink wine?" Edward questioned me from across the table, to which I answered with a smile and a nod.

"Could we have two glasses of Chardonnay, please?" he asked the waiter, who nodded, making a mental note, before asking if we had any thoughts of what we would like for dinner.

I was ready, so I ordered the pesto chicken pasta, which Edward decided to have as well.

"I'll be back with your wine shortly," Paul beamed, taking our menus as I continued to glance out at the river.

"Serene, isn't it?" Edward asked, referring to the view, and I wholeheartedly agreed.

"Definitely," I answered, waiting only a couple of minutes before the waiter arrived with our glasses of wine.

I hadn't had much experience with alcohol over the years, but white wine had always been one of my favorite go-to drinks.

Edward and I both took tentative sips, and I was satisfied with the fruity taste that gave a slight burn down my throat.

"So you like classical music. And I'm guessing you're also into classical books?" Edward wondered, cocking an eyebrow as a blush bloomed across my cheeks, accompanied with a sheepish smile.

"Yup. Jane Austen has to be my favorite writer, though _Wuthering Heights_ is my all-time favorite book. I've probably read it a hundred times," I laughed a little, as the corners of Edward's lips upturned.

"What about you?" I was interested to learn more about Edward's likes and dislikes, especially when it came to literature.

"I'm more of a Shakespeare fan myself, but I appreciate your love for _Wuthering Heights_," he smiled, and I could see where he appeared to be more into the works of William Shakespeare as opposed to Austen.

"So you're a _Romeo and Juliet_ fan?" I asked, taking another sip of my wine as he tilted his head to one side.

"It's a well-written play, but the ending aggravates me," at that, I had to laugh.

"You don't think it's romantic?" I asked, referring to the fact that the protagonists take their own lives after realizing that they wouldn't be able to live in a world without each other. Honestly, I wanted to get his take on the issue since I was pretty conflicted about the whole ending myself.

The play in itself depicted a rushed love story, one where the protagonists fall in love at first sight. When you really look back on the play, it seems scoff-worthy, but while immersed in the works, I often fell in love with the idea that true love actually exists, and that sometimes, it makes you do crazy things.

Edward took a deep breath, letting it out, "I see where you're coming from, but overall, I just don't know if what they had was true love, or simply, infatuation? The whole thing just seemed a bit unrealistic."

"I guess that was the whole point. To make us believe in the unbelievable. Get a bit hopeful," I shrugged, swirling my glass as Edward's eyes remained fixed on me.

There weren't many other people in the restaurant, and most of them were seated away from us, so that we were given the illusion of being alone.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Edward asked, arms resting on the table as he leaned closer to me.

I looked up, surprised at the turn he'd taken from that conversation, but nevertheless, I began to think about my answer.

I thought back to how I'd felt when I'd seen Edward for the first time in the café, undeniably attracted to him. The way he carried himself with a sense of purpose and determination, like he knew exactly what he wanted and how he was going to get it, just seemed to make my fascination with him grow.

I thought of the way I felt calm around him, as if the world could burn down around us, but once he was there with me, everything would be all right. It was a weird feeling to have for someone who I'd known for a few weeks.

"Maybe," I stared across at him, feeling the heat of his green-eyes gaze, smoldering. Once again, I felt myself growing slightly breathless under the intensity of his eyes, thankful yet annoyed when the waiter interrupted us.

"One chicken pesto pasta for the lady, and one chicken pesto pasta for her date," Paul smile at us, "Enjoy."

After he left, both Edward and I dug right in, finding the pasta to be absolutely delicious – a good choice.

"Do you plan on staying in New Hampshire to work after med school?" I asked during a break in our eating, realizing that Edward would have completed his medical degree by June, and he'd be on to the world of internship and work.

He seemed to have given a lot of thought into this matter already, answering straight away, "Probably for a couple of years, then I'd spend a bit of time in Chicago, but I don't plan on staying there for the rest of my life. I just want to spend some time with my family after being away for so long."

I nodded, "I've never been to Chicago, actually." It seemed like a great place to live, still having the bustle of the city life, though not as busy as New York City. In Forks, I'd gotten used to the monotonous events of everyday life, with nothing to do besides school or work, and maybe a movie once in a while.

"Really? I've gotta take you sometime," he smiled, and I blushed at the insinuation behind his words, wondering if our relationship would really make it to the point where he'd ask me to visit his hometown to meet his parents.

"What about you? Do you plan on heading back to Forks after you finish your degree?" he took a bite of his pasta afterwards, as I began to shrug.

"I can't see myself living there again, honestly. It's a bit of a ghost town. The only reason I moved back there was to spend time with my dad, but I don't think he needs my company that much anymore," I'd spoken to him a few days ago, hearing about how close him and Sue had grown, and I could already see the beginnings of a relationship there.

"Well that's good that he has someone back home to look after him," Edward responded, and I nodded, expressing my agreement, seeing as this was the one thing I'd often worried about when leaving for university.

"What are your parents like?" I asked, finishing up the last of my dinner as Edward set his cleared plate aside.

"I don't have anything that really irritates me about either of them. My mom is completely supportive of all decisions that I make, and she's the kind of person who just wants everyone around her to be happy. My dad goes with the flow. They suit each other really well, and I don't know, they just seem to work well together. It's always been a constant source of inspiration for me," he was glancing at the river, before he turned to make direct eye contact with me.

"Do you think you'll ever find someone like that – who suits you as perfectly as your mom suits your dad?" coming from a family with divorced parents, I'd never really had much to look up to in terms of relationship goals. But I guess Edward did.

"Honestly?" his eyebrows raised, as I waited patiently for his answer, to see whether he was cynical about the idea of love or if he believed that there was hope for him.

"I think I already have."

* * *

After Edward's bold statement, I'd turned just about every shade of red under the sun, more so because I knew that he wasn't just saying this to flatter me. He actually _meant_ it. He actually felt like I was well-suited with him.

And the butterflies continued to swarm in my stomach, making me feel nauseated with delight – if that even makes sense.

He'd changed the subject, probably sensing my inability to respond, transitioning to embarrassing childhood memories. And soon enough, we were both laughing so hard that tears were streaming down our faces.

"No way. I can't believe that happened in front of all of those people," Edward laughed after I'd recounted details of my graduation - how I'd tripped over thin air, grabbing onto the streamers and accidentally ripping down a large portion of the decorations. Needless to say, the graduation committee was not too happy with me – but thank the Lord I never had to see most of them again after that.

When Paul had come around with the bill, I'd made a movement to pay for my fair share, but Edward had already foreseen it, quickly handing the waiter a collection of cash in the booklet.

"I'll let you get it next time," Edward promised, but I could see the mischievous glint in his eyes, as my mine only narrowed – though there was a warm feeling growing inside me at the prospect of a second date with him.

"I'll hold you to that," I warned, as we stood from our chairs, and Edward moved to grasp my hand in his. What I was slowly beginning to realize was how much I enjoyed holding hands with him. I intertwined our fingers together, not able to get over how comfortable and natural it felt for my hand to be encased in his.

He didn't give the hostess her time of day when she'd desperately tried to get his attention as we'd left, giving her a forced smile and a "Goodbye" as he'd led me down the steps towards his car.

Just as we reached the passenger door, Edward paused in his stride, turning to face me.

"You know what I've realized Bella?" he asked seriously, so much so that I actually got a bit concerned.

"What?" I asked, raising both eyebrows.

"I really want to kiss you," that look of solemnity didn't disappear until I bit my bottom lip, unable to control my smile. Then, taking a different approach to our first and only kiss, I began to wrap my hands around his neck as his hands moved slowly down my waist.

Then I glanced into his green orbs, a smirk on my face as his smile began to grow, "I shouldn't keep you waiting, then."

"No," he whispered just before our lips connected, eyes closing, and still, I felt my heart race from the feel of his lips on mine, moving slowly and tenderly, completely in sync. When my fingers weaved through his luscious bronze hair – which, yes, was even softer than I'd expected – things got a little heated.

Edward's hold on me tightened as he pulled my body closer to his. I felt his mouth open, tongue tracing my bottom lip, awaiting entrance that I eagerly gave. I registered the felt of his chest against mine, as our tongues tangled together in harmony, and there was nothing more that I wanted at that moment than to stay locked in his embrace forever.

Unfortunately, respiration is a thing, so we both had to come up for air, but Edward's forehead rested on mine, and he continued to brush his lips across mine.

We both attempted to regain our regular breathing pattern, but I was still taking deep inhales when he began to open my door for me, buckling myself up as he shut the door.

He got in on the other side, starting the engine, and pausing for a moment.

"I don't know if I should be driving," he asked, and I considered the fact that we'd each had a glass of wine.

"We didn't have that much to drink, and I'm sure the effect would have worn off by now," I answered, a bit confused as I turned to look at him.

He shook his head, "No, I mean I'm under the influence of your kiss right now. I think I need some time to compose myself."

We remained unsmiling for a good five seconds, letting his words sink in before simultaneously bursting into laughter.

"You suck," I playfully shoved him, still laughing.

"I was being serious."

* * *

**A/N: So how'd you guys like their date?**

**I wanted to make most of this chapter about them getting to know each other a little more, so I hope I succeeded with that! And I really hope you guys liked all of the cheekiness at the end. I enjoyed writing it :)**

**Please feel free to leave me your feedback; whether it's good/constructive, they're all really appreciated. I'm happy that I have such a lovely following of people with this story! You guys are awesome. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you for all of the alerts!**

**And thank you awesome people for reviewing: **_**lupis93, Ilovevampiresangels, cbmorefie, brebre99, Bugsmamawolf, misstresswillow, TriforceandSheikahArts, TwilighterSam1989, sandy4321, Fullofpassion09, michael . vandebroek, gi-freakazoid, SunShine1794, Maggie Davis, twiannfav, Schmandypants28, Sam (Guest), bethharriganation, Stephie25001, Em2017, Readerforlife, J Lisa, Monyetta, lovinmich, jansails, Mrs. Spiderman Penguin, sujari6, **_**and 4 **_**Guests. **_

**Oh and someone asked me if Paul, the waiter, was meant to be Paul (as in Paul from the Twilight Saga), and I hadn't even thought about that! No, I didn't really envision him to be Paul from New Moon, I was just thinking of a random name (which I guess isn't so random, oops).**

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Bella 

"So I'm finally getting to meet the infamous Emmett," my grin clearly showed my excitement to meet Rosalie's prospective boyfriend and Edward's long-time roommate who I'd heard so much about these past few weeks.

"Should I be worried that you're _this_ eager to meet another guy?" Edward asked, arm resting lazily around my shoulders as we walked. There was nothing but humour dancing in his eyes as I rolled my brown ones.

"Not at all," just for emphasis, I stopped in our walk, reaching up on my tiptoes and planting a chaste kiss onto his lips.

He remained exceedingly disappointed when I pulled back much too soon, tugging me into his strong arms – in the middle of the street, no less – and pressing his lips firmly against mine. We'd shared quite a few kisses since our date last Saturday, but his lips never failed to make my head spin.

I forced myself to push myself away before his tongue could sneak into my mouth, "I'm worried that people are going to give us strange looks." Trust me, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than kiss Edward senseless, but I had to be aware of passersby.

His forehead was touching mine as the heat went to my face, already feeling a few eyes on us.

"I don't care what they think," he spoke seriously, green eyes blazing with the same intensity that always rendered me speechless. I felt happiness radiating off of me thinking about the fact that he wasn't embarrassed to display his affection for me.

I bit my lip, not missing the way his eyes flashed down to my mouth, internally making me smirk with pleasure. Then, before I could lose my previous train of thought, I explained, "I was always one of those people who felt super uncomfortable when couples were just blatantly showing PDA, and I really don't want to be on the other side of that spectrum."

He pulled back with a sigh, seeming to clearly understand where I was coming from, and instead of doing what he wanted to do and kiss me, he settled for gripping my hand in his. Our fingers began to interlock.

"I get it. I'll try to control myself," he chuckled, causing a blush to bloom onto my cheeks as I continued to trudge forward.

Just a few days had passed since our first date at the restaurant, and it was currently Friday as Edward led me along the stretch of clubs and bars in the city. It took less than a few minutes to find the glowing metal sign of _100 Degrees, _the popular club that Emmett happened to DJ at.

Rosalie was supposed to be there already, supporting him as he spun his life away, but it was Alice and Jasper who I easily spotted out of the crowds, bobbing their heads along to the music.

"Hey guys!" Alice yelled over the bass, coming over to the two of us as soon as we entered through the doors. She didn't allow either of us to miss out on one of her classic, surprisingly strong hugs, grinning all the while.

Jasper greeted me with a hug as well, turning to Edward to partake in that awkward one-armed bro hug. The interaction only made Alice and myself roll our eyes, thankful that we weren't subjected to uncomfortable greetings as such.

"How long have you guys been here?" I asked, having to raise my voice to a volume that I wasn't used to, as the couple shrugged, motioning to their drinks.

"We only got here a few minutes ago, and we just decided to get something to drink. I haven't seen Rosalie as yet," Alice spoke up, as I gave a nod, scanning the room.

I had failed to look towards the DJ booth until then, and immediately noticed a burly-looking guy in his mid-twenties manning the station. A pair of headphones hung around his neck as he hit a variety of buttons, dancing along to the beat of the music, looking deeply focused in what he was doing.

"Is that Emmett?" I wasn't going to lie; he looked pretty intimidating from this angle, and I could definitely see Rose's attraction to him seeing as she tended to gravitate towards guys with bulging muscles – though Emmett's were quite astounding. Aside from that, he appeared to be quite tall, with curly, brown hair and hazel eyes.

I was pretty much in shock over the fact that Edward's good friend was that bodybuilder behind the booth. His looks told me that he could break someone in half if need be, which I guess was a good thing since he could easily protect Rosalie. But at the same time, what is she pissed him off and he snapped?

Somehow, I couldn't very well picture that happening, but I still worried.

Rosalie tended to go for the robust guys, who spent a lot of time working out at the gym and maintaining their appearances; the guys who were much too self-absorbed to pay attention to her needs.

My gaping didn't go unnoticed by Edward, and not a second later, my favorite crooked grin lightened up his face, just as a strobe light highlighted a few strands of his copper hair, "I can see where your thoughts are running, and trust me, he's a total goofball, the complete opposite of what you're probably assuming. You'll see."

He decided that now would be as good a time as any for us to get something from the bar, offering to bring me back something light since I wasn't much of an alcohol fan.

When he approached carrying a glass of cranberry juice with a minimal amount of vodka, I was quite content, sipping on the drink as we began to chat with Alice and Jasper, catching up.

Emmett finished his set less than five minutes later, taking a small break as a guy with blond hair, covered in tattoos, took over from him.

Emmett seemed to identify someone in the crowd after stepping down, and once I saw the dimples in his cheeks and the wide grin on his face, and my eyes followed to the person he was looking at, all of the tension in my shoulders left. I was pretty terrified that Rosalie had found someone who would overpower her, but after seeing the way he was putty in her hands after she'd shot him her infamous glare for doing God-knows-what, I felt nothing but relief flood through me.

With just one look at the two of them, I could instantly see the chemistry there, even though from Edward's accounts of his friend, he seemed to be the polar opposite of Rosalie. She was rigid when she needed to be, while Emmett just seemed to be an all-around good time, pumping his fists into the air and smiling at everyone around him. I guess I really couldn't judge a book by its cover, because although he seemed serious whilst working, he eased up completely on the dance floor.

Of course, once his eyes wandered around the room, they landed on Edward, then me, followed by Alice and Jasper, who were huddled close to us, drinks still in hand.

He flashed another grin, pulling Rosalie along with him, as she only now noticed that all of us had arrived at the club. The get-together had actually all been her idea, after realizing that it was finally time that Alice and I met the guy she'd been going on about non-stop for the past month and a half.

"Eddie, what's up?" Emmett clapped his friend on the back, causing Edward's eyes to narrow, "I told you to stop calling me that."

Emmett's eyes fell on me next, before moving back to Edward, and I didn't miss the silent conversation that he and Edward seemed to be sharing with their eyes. I politely outstretched my hand, and Emmett looked at it as if I were carrying some highly contagious disease.

"No Bella, I don't do handshakes," he shook his head, literally picking me up in his arms and catching me completely off guard as the rest of my friends erupted into laughter at his exuberance.

"Oh, nice to meet you, too," I couldn't help but giggle after he'd set me down, moving onto Jasper and Alice, who Rosalie took the liberty of introducing to him.

While Rosalie and Alice branched off to talk, and Edward and Jasper continued with their conversation about a project they'd been assigned to work on, Emmett and I were left alone together amongst the milling crowd.

"So you're the girl who's won Edward's heart," he smirked, only making me blush.

"And you're the guy Rosalie hasn't been able to shut up about," I countered; only making his grin widen as his eyes flickered to his girl.

"I have a question for you, Emmett," I began, getting his full attention as his amber eyes focused on me.

"Shoot," was his eager response.

"I can tell you're crazy about her," I waited until his smile softened, and he nodded, "And she's also crazy about you."

"So why haven't you made things official?" Emmett seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn't take offense to this question, and I was satisfied when my theory appeared to be correct.

I noticed an immediate crinkling of his eyebrows as his eyes once again went to Rosalie, currently dancing along to an EDM track with Alice.

"What do you mean?" he genuinely seemed confused as to what my question meant, and I didn't hesitate to explain.

"Well, have you asked Rosalie to be your girlfriend as yet?" I rephrased the question, as his eyes widened, mouth opening a little as he leaned closer towards me.

His voice lowered, "I'm supposed to ask her?"

I was both thrilled and amused at his inquiry, now satisfied with the knowledge that he hadn't consciously avoided making things official between him and Rosalie. He'd just automatically assumed that they were already a thing. Just as I'd thought.

I nodded, a smile plastered across my face, "Yes. Even though you might not need it, sometimes people – girls, especially – need the reassurance that you're 100 percent committed to them, and only them."

Emmett looked thoughtful, once again looking over at Rosalie and turning back to me, "Thanks for the advice, Bells. I'll sort that out." I barely knew the guy and he'd already made a nickname for me as if he'd known me for years. But, honestly, I didn't mind it the least, already feeling like I was going to get along with Emmett in the future.

His eyes focused on me, "But enough about me. How's Eddie treating you?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his disastrous dub for Edward, before sobering up, "He's been nothing but the perfect gentleman, honestly. I can feel myself sounding like a total cliché, but I really am lucky to have found him."

Emmett could only grin at my answer, "You know, before you, I was trying to set him up with a bunch of other girls, but things never worked out."

I laughed, remembering what Rosalie had mentioned upon meeting Edward, "So I've heard."

"Well, you know him, he's shy and really selective about the people he hangs out with, but I wanted him to step out of that bubble and hopefully find someone to make him loosen up a bit," Emmett continued speaking, and I nodded, absorbing the information like a sponge.

"And then he started texting you, and he just seemed… brighter, I don't know. I mean, I was worried you were going to be a catfish and you'd end up breaking his heart, but I'm really glad you weren't, because you really seem to bring out the better side of him."

I looked down at my shoes before looking back up, an appreciative smile on my face at his kind words and total honestly.

"Thanks, Emmett. And for what it's worth, you and Rosalie make a great pair. She can be a little rough around the edges, but I feel like you can handle her," I beamed, causing him to burst out into laughter; it was apparent that he knew exactly what I was talking about.

"I see you guys are getting along," Edward speculated, as he walked over to us. Apparently, Jasper had run off to the washroom.

I looked up at my very own Greek God, watching as his smile widened upon meeting my eyes.

"Yeah, Bells is a cool girl," Emmett smiled genuinely, giving me a serious look, before peering down at his phone, sensing that his break was over, deciding he'd have to head back to his station soon.

"I'll see you guys later," he made a motion with his head, running over to give Rosalie a big smooch on the lips - which she pretended to be embarrassed about but secretly enjoyed – before going off to continue his job.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Edward asked, looking down at his glass, before giving me a look of total innocence, pretending that his question was nothing but casual.

I bit my lip, holding in a laugh at his obvious curiosity, "Nothing, Edward."

When he didn't seem deterred by my answer, I sighed, "I was just asking him about Rosalie and how things are progressing there, and he may have spoken about you a bit, but it was nothing." I rushed the end of the sentence, seeing Edward's eyes widen.

"What about me?" he asked, now clearly nervous that Emmett had shared some horrendous details about him to me.

"He told me you've been a lot different these days; happier," I didn't meet his eyes, feeling awkward for telling him these things that his roommate had apparently noticed about him. I didn't want to make it seem like I thought I was the cause of this change in him.

I felt a hand on my cheek, tilting my face up so that our eyes were once again in contact, "I am. I'm a lot happier than I was before, and I've noticed it too."

"I really don't wanna scare you away, Bella, and I feel like sometimes I do that unintentionally when I say stuff like 'I see you in my future', but it's the truth," I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks, as I held his gaze.

"You're not scaring me away, Edward," for a moment, I forgot that we were surrounded by people, but all of the dancing bodies seemed to mesh together, blending in and feeling like nothing but background noise to me.

"It flatters me when you stay stuff like that, and the only reason I keep my mouth shut sometimes is because I don't wanna freak you out. But let's just put it this way: I've never felt more connected to someone in my entire life," there was a twitch of the lips, as he leaned his head down.

But then, he stopped himself, and our conversation on the sidewalk came rushing right back to me.

Boy did I now regret my little spiel about PDA now; now that I wanted to kiss the life out of my personal form of Heaven, also known as Edward Cullen.

_Oh, what the hell_, I shrugged mentally, reaching up and closing the gap between us, excusing the PDA just this once since we were surrounded by people who did much worse than kiss in public.

Once again I was reminded of how warm and safe his embrace felt as his lips moved against mine, mouth opening to me as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Our tongues met in one fluid motion, entangling and allowing me to taste the sweetness that was Edward. He pulled me closer to him, kissing my deeper and harder.

We only pulled apart when the lack of oxygen became absolutely unbearable, and Edward kept panting along with me.

"I would give you guys crap about us being in a shared place and there being children around, but lucky for you, we're at a club so that doesn't work," Alice looked disappointed to say the least, but she thankfully left us be.

I gave Edward a second look, and with one more glance down at my lips, I could tell that he wasn't finished just yet.

* * *

"Alright, who's ready for a game of 'Never have I ever'," Emmett hollered once we'd all made it back to his and Edward's apartment for a small hangout.

I was a little hazy on the point of the popular game, and Rosalie seemed to catch on.

"Basically, you have to say something that you've never done, and whoever _has_ done it has to take a shot of tequila," she waved the bottle in front of our faces as we all sat huddled in a circle consisting of Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Edward and me.

"So basically, you're all gonna get drunk," I teased, knowing that there was probably a lot of stuff that I hadn't done that most of the others had.

"Don't worry, Bells. We'll find something for you to drink to," Emmett wore a mischievous smile on his face, and I tried to keep my poker face going even though I was dying on the inside, knowing that he would definitely find a way.

"Okay, who's first?" Alice looked around, before simply turning to her boyfriend, "Jazz?"

He shrugged, squinting his eyes for a moment before clearing his throat, "Never have I ever skinny-dipped."

We were holding the shot glasses in our hands, and once seeing both Rosalie and Emmett look across at each other, pouring themselves glasses of tequila, the rest of the room collectively agreed not to press for more details about _that_.

We were going clockwise around the circle, and Edward happened to be next, "Never have I ever gotten high."

I bit the inside of my cheek as both Rose and Alice glanced over at me, the widest grins on their faces.

"Drink up, Bella," Rosalie broke the silence as I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, as all of the boys' jaws dropped open.

"Not intentionally," I said, through gritted teeth.

"Wait, wait, wait. I have to hear about _this_," Jasper looked curiously towards the girls as Edward looked to be in shock along with Emmett.

"We went to a party, probably two years ago, and a bunch of the guys had baked hash brownies," Alice snorted, "But poor Bella wasn't very informed on the customs of college parties and assumed they were just normal, delicious brownies. So, she had about three."

At that, both Rosalie and Alice broke off, leaning onto each other for support as I continued to die of embarrassment, recalling the event vividly, knowing just how much stupidity I'd spewed out of my mouth that night.

I hadn't forgotten about the fact that Alice had recorded the entire thing once realizing what had happened – and, speak of the devil.

"Do you still have the video?" Rosalie looked towards Alice with wide eyes, as the evil pixie immediately began skimming through her phone, before pumping her tiny fists into the air, screaming her victory.

Naturally, the rest of the group all crowded around to take a look at her phone, as I imagined everything that they were seeing, having viewed the video many times myself. I'd even tried erasing it a couple of times, but Alice was much too clever for my liking, and she'd even saved it on multiple devices, just in case.

"_Alice, why do I feel so… light? I feel like I'm floating," I let out a dreamy sight, "Like a bird," my voice sounded sleepy and childlike. _

"_Oh my gosh, like that song: I'm like a biiiird, I only fly awaaaay," at this point I was sliding down the cupboards in the kitchen, flapping my hands frantically, imitating a bird. This was all happening in a frat house while the partygoers remained oblivious in the living room. _

"_Have you ever thought about how weird hands are? Like we have these random bones covered in flesh that help us _do _stuff, like pick up a cup," I brandished my hand, before picking up a red plastic cup, accidentally dropping it, making an elaborate "whoops" sound. Flailing arms were included in the gesture. _

"_And another thing," I pointed with my finger, staring at it a moment before spontaneously beginning to burst out into a fit of giggles, holding my sides. _

_Rosalie questioned from behind the camera, "What's so funny?" The smile was evident in her voice. _

_I bit my lip, trying to reign in my giggles, but failing, "I really don't know." My reply was nothing but the truth; I was so under the influence of cannabis that I was laughing when nothing amusing had even happened. _

_The laughter began to die down, and a few seconds later, "I feel really thirsty," I began touching my throat for emphasis, as Alice piped up, "What do you want to drink?"_

_I shrugged, leaning my head on my shoulder, before my eyes widened, and I straightened myself up, "A chocolate milkshake. I want a chocolate milkshake. Like, a milkshake… but with chocolate."_

_They proceeded to prepare said milkshake for me, as I began to stand up, feeling extremely jittery at this point. I skipped around the room, playing with Rosalie's hair and sniffing Alice's coat, commenting that it smelled like Christmas. _

_A few minutes into drinking the incredibly tasty milkshake, the girls had informed me that I had accidentally eaten some brownies laced with weed. _

_Promptly, I began to freak out. I stopped drinking the milkshake, began to put my face in my hands and whine, "No, drugs are bad. Oh my gosh, don't tell my dad. I'm going to go to jail."_

Unfortunately – or, well, fortunately for me – Alice's phone had run out of battery, and the video stopped just then, but it didn't really matter because everyone was dying of laughter already. Tears were literally streaming down their eyes, and I found myself smiling along with them, simply because of their reactions.

Emmett began mimicking me, singing, "_Please don't tell my dad. I'm going to go to jail." _His face was in his hands and everything.

When I'd woken up the next morning after the weed experience, I actually had been thoroughly disappointed in myself for being so naïve, and not figuring out the true ingredients of the baked goodies. I mean, it was just common knowledge that brownies at a college party equal weed brownies.

But I'd ultimately been relieved that I hadn't done anything too out of the ordinary, and that I'd been surrounded by people I trusted to take care of me the entire time.

But back to the present: Alice began reaching for my glass and pouring me the drink of tequila, clearly eager to witness me taking a shot of the strong drink. She made me tilt the glass up, letting the fiery liquid wash down my throat as I made a face expressing my disgust.

Edward was still chuckling to himself about the video, and my reaction to the tequila had only made his laughter intensify. I gave him a gentle push, laughing with him, even though I was contradicting that by pouting, "Stop laughing at me."

When the laughter eventually died down, I cleared my throat, realizing that it had come to my spot on the circle, "Alright."

"Never have I ever gotten so drunk that I forgot where I lived," I knew for a fact that this had happened to Rosalie before, but I wasn't too surprised when Jasper also took a drink.

Emmett got straight down to business next, "Never have I ever watched an entire Shakespearean play." I could see his eyes flicker to both Edward and me.

Thankfully, Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper also happened to be in that club, having had to watch multiple plays during high school. I guessed Emmett had fallen asleep during all of them.

"I told you I'd get you to drink," Emmett smirked, looking straight at me after we'd all taken our shots.

I sighed; I could already tell it was going to be a long night.

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**A/N: Sorry sorry sorry I took so long to update. **

**I was pretty busy this week, and I was a bit lost for ideas on this chapter. It was just a fun little filler, before I hopefully get to put in something interesting (still working out those details though). How was Emmett?**

**I hope you guys enjoyed even though there wasn't anything major to talk about in this. I added in a Perks of Being a Wallflower reference, because that scene in the movie made me crack up. **

**Please feel free to leave me a review letting me know exactly what you thought about the chapter! **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of the follows &amp; favourites!**

**And thank you for reviewing: **_**Stephie25001, Bugsmamawolf, jansails, Em2017, cbmorefie, pandorazul, sujari6, michael . vandebroek, misstresswillow, Monyetta, PrankingProdigy, gi-freakazoid, TwilighterSam1989, lupis93, SunShine1794, Calista (Guest), Maggie Davis, Shorty (Guest), Exceptionaldork, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

**WAIT. I was just going through all of your reviews to type up the pen names, and I realized… 300 REVIEWS! Whaaaaaaaat? Already? You guys are crazy, wonderful people who deserve lots of hugs *gives virtual hug* **

**There's a really funny Guest whose reviews I wish I could reply to (this was the same one who was asking about Paul, the waiter) but anyway, thank you! **

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 14

Edward 

"Never have I ever…" Rosalie tapped her chin, looking around the room thoughtfully, before quirking an eyebrow, "Walked in on someone." She didn't need to finish her sentence, since everyone in the room knew what 'walking in on someone' meant – me, all too well, unfortunately.

I reached for the bottle of tequila, already hearing mouths open to ask for the story behind this.

"If you're wondering. No, it wasn't Emmett. It was back at Princeton when I had a roommate who was a jock. So naturally, he got a lot of girls and whatever," I rolled my eyes, hearing Bella's giggle, causing me to smile as well.

"Anyway, he usually made it clear when he was going to have someone over, except for this one time," I shook my head, recalling the event vividly, as if it had just happened yesterday.

"I'd just come back from classes to hear lots of screaming, and I actually thought we were being robbed or something," I shook my head, as the laughing started to grow louder. I think they'd all lost it when I'd mentioned my roommate's _screams._

"So I grabbed one of his baseball bats that was lying around and I charged into the room, and – " I broke off, having to close my eyes, cringing at that horrendous memory.

"I mean, body parts were covered by sheets, but it still burned my retinas. I wanted to _die_," my hand went to my forehead, as the room continued to fill with giggles; everyone finding the utmost humour in that traumatic experience of mine.

Alice took a deep breath, calming herself down along with the others. Bella squeezed my hand, leaning on me, still amused at my trip down memory lane. After two shots, I was already beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol wearing down on me, making the room look a bit hazy, though I could tell the others were having it worse.

"Okay," Alice cleared her throat, looking up to the ceiling for some bright ideas before looking back around the room, "Never have I ever kissed someone of the same sex."

I was almost waiting for a shocking grab of the bottle, but surprisingly, none came.

I guess we were all innocent of that one.

It was back to the beginning of the loop, onto Jasper as he let out a deep exhale, "Never have I ever… pretended to be gay to get out of a date with someone." He continued with the same theme as his girlfriend, and this time, shots were filled.

Rosalie, Alice and Bella all passed me their glasses asking that I fill up them up, and I ended up pouring myself one in the process. Mind you, I hadn't gone all out in my act; I'd simply explained that I wasn't interested in girls, and the short blonde had promptly scurried off. I'd been more than relieved that she hadn't asked me to prove it.

It was Bella's turn next, and this time, she was prepared with her question, not having to think about it as she spoke, "Never have I ever had sex in nature." After realizing that Emmett hadn't been bluffing with his statement about getting her drunk, she was willing to up her game as well.

I glanced around the room to see a very bashful-looking Alice and Jasper, both with tinted cheeks, reaching for the bottle of tequila that was slowly but surely getting drained.

"Well, well, well," Rosalie gave the couple a mildly impressed look, but she took a shot of the tequila along with Emmett.

By the time it came to be Bella's turn once again in the next round, I was beginning to notice a pattern.

"Never have I ever had sex in the backseat of a car," she smirked, watching as the bottle of tequila downed, leaving just enough for one more round, the slurred speech and drooping eyelids becoming much more pronounced among the rest of our friends. It wasn't _that_ bad, but they were definitely drunk.

For the most part, Bella remained quite sober, but Emmett was slowly getting to her with his own Never Have I Evers – he'd never read Pride and Prejudice, or ventured into a library for the sole purpose of reading a book, or listened to Beethoven willingly.

"Bella, where _have_ you had sex?" Emmett blurted out, eyes lazily observing her, as I unconsciously became incredibly tense beside her.

Yes, I was aware of the fact that Bella had been involved with someone for four years of her life, and with that, her relationship had probably entailed some kind of intimacy, but I still felt nauseated after getting flashes of her potentially getting that close to someone else.

From my previous lack of relationships, you can guess that I still hadn't gone that far with someone. I wasn't a one-night stand kind of guy, if you catch my drift. I needed to know that I was in it for the long haul with someone, and until now, I hadn't found anyone I wanted to spend longer than a few minutes around.

Bella seemed to be equally as uncomfortable with Emmett's drunken question, and just as she opened her mouth, Rosalie nudged her boyfriend in the ribs, shaking her head.

"She hasn't _done it_ as yet," she attempted, but failed, to whisper, under the influence of the strong liquor.

I was immobile, along with just about everyone else in the room. _She had to be joking_.

But from Bella's long exhale, and the mumble, "I guess the cat's out of the bag," apparently, Rosalie wasn't just spilling a bunch of mumbo jumbo.

I knew that things would only get even more awkward if the room remained as still as it was, so I gestured to Emmett that it was his turn to play, trying my best to disperse the discomfort currently radiating from Bella.

As much as I was relieved to finally know the extent of her closeness with her ex, I wasn't exactly fond of the fact that Rosalie had spilled Bella's secret, in turn making her feel ridiculously uncomfortable. I wished I'd found out about this later on, when she felt the need to tell me herself.

Emmett seemed to quickly forget all about the incident, which worked out well, jumping straight into the statement, albeit, slurring his words together, "Never have I ever… gotten straight As." He wagged his finger in the air for emphasis, causing me to stifle a chuckle.

I rolled my eyes, grabbing the bottle, and filled up shots for Bella, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, and myself.

I knocked the liquor back, squeezing my eyes shut briefly before opening them once more. My vision blurred, and I had to blink a few times to regain my levelheadedness. I was thankful that I'd been smart, having lots of water to drink beforehand, as well as some food. Like any other normal person, I despised hangovers, so I'd picked up a few tricks over the years from Emmett on how to avoid the splitting headaches, as well as the drunkenness. Even after a few drinks, I still felt like I could think straight.

"Bottle's done," Jasper commented, frowning, holding the bottle containing less than an ounce of alcohol, swishing it about.

Emmett promptly grabbed the bottle from him, observing the amount. Then, looking around to see if anyone would object, he drank straight from it, making a face before sighing.

I was quick to clear my throat, weaving my hands together, "So, game's done?"

I heard a few groans and whines, but I was pretty certain that they were all a bit relieved to finish the drinking game without losing a lot of dignity.

In total, Bella and I had taken about four shots, while the rest of our friends had probably made it to six and over. Naturally, I wasn't going to let any of them go home in this state, so I got up, grabbing a few blankets and tossing each of them one.

Bella moved over to help me organize the pull out couch. Regrettably, standing up too quickly mixed with the alcohol led to her tripping over her own foot, but before I could really comprehend what I was doing, my arms were wrapped around her waist.

I chuckled at her dazed expression, feeling her hand grasp my shoulder for support as I lifted her so that she was once again standing upright.

"Thank you," she smiled, still holding onto me, her brown eyes peering into mine innocently. And I don't know why, but I just couldn't resist.

In the back of my mind, I knew that we were both under the influence of alcohol, so I still made sure to set my usual boundaries. I heard a hoot in the background from Emmett, going, "That's my boy," when my hands wrapped around Bella's waist, pulling her body towards mine. She smiled against my lips as our tongues wrestled together, moving her hands from my neck into my hair.

Whenever her fingers found their way through my hair, it practically drove me insane. I couldn't think about anything but kissing her – and doing other, non-gentlemanly things that I really should not be thinking about with her. I had to physically restrain myself from going any further.

When we broke away, I was stuck in a dream-like state, as was the usual after many of our more passionate kisses. Her voice was soft, the smile on her face beautiful as ever, "Alright, you've distracted me enough. Let's make the beds."

She extracted herself from me, making me frown, but I couldn't exactly argue seeing as she had an extremely valid point.

I realized that Emmett would probably drag Rosalie off to his room, and Alice and Jasper would most likely be sharing the pull out, but the sleeping arrangement for Bella and me would be a little bit more complex.

I headed into my room, watching as the rest of our friends coupled off and organized themselves for slumber.

Turning around, I looked over at Bella, who was currently covering her mouth as she yawned. My eyes raked over her body and I noted her skinny jeans and sweater, thinking about her sleeping in those, "Do you want to change into something more comfortable?"

I didn't even bother waiting for her to answer, going over to my chest of drawers and ruffling through my t-shirts, grabbing an oversized black one, and a pair of boxers for her. I hoped she didn't think I was trying to send her any messages, because truly, I just wanted her to be able to go to sleep without feeling as if her clothes were too rigid.

She blushed when I handed her the sleepwear, "You didn't have to."

"But, thank you," beaming up at me, she asked, "Where's your bathroom?"

I directed her to a door across the hall, realizing that now would be as good a time as any to figure out where I was going to sleep. I would've gone for the floor but Emmett had recently destroyed our air mattress – don't ask me how.

The couch located in one corner of my room was pretty wide, though not as long as my body, but I could make it work.

I picked up a few more blankets from the linen closet, designing a makeshift bed, and organizing my own bed for Bella to sleep on.

I heard the light being switched off as she watched out of the bathroom, blinking deeply before rubbing her temples, "Remind me never to play a drinking game with Emmett ever again."

But I didn't fully register her words since my eyes were glued to her, mouth opening slightly at the sight of her wearing my clothes. The t-shirt, naturally, was ten sizes too big for her, as well as the boxers, which I saw she had rolled up. Still, it was the simple fact that she was in my clothes that had me feeling slightly wound up.

Maybe I should've left her in her uncomfortable clothes, because at least then, I could keep my hormones intact.

I didn't realize how much I was staring until she cleared her throat, biting her lip and looking down at herself self-consciously.

I was so used to seeing her blush, and it was finally my turn to feel embarrassed, cheeks tingeing pink.

"Sorry," I apologized, feeling pretty disgusted with myself for letting my lust get out of hand. "I, um. It's just – uh, I've never had anyone wear my clothes before." It was true, but it wasn't entirely the reason for my drooling.

I passed a hand through my hair, looking down as I heard her giggle, completely unfazed by the entire thing.

"It's alright. They're definitely a lot comfier than my clothes," she folded her arms across her chest, emphasizing her comfort, watching as the smile grew on my face.

Not long after that, I excused myself to go change, and by the time I came back, I noticed Bella's seat on the couch as she had picked up a novel off of my bookshelf, reading with her legs crossed.

I watched her from the doorway for a little while, seeing the look of concentration on her face as she immersed herself in the book, flipping the page.

It took a few seconds for her to feel my eyes on her, and when she looked up, she bashfully closed the book.

"I have trouble falling asleep unless I've been reading something," she admitted, and I quirked an eyebrow, not having expected that piece of information to come out of her mouth. I filed it away.

"And what are you doing over there? You're taking the bed," I nudged my head in the direction of the bed, walking over to her as she gave me a look of disbelief.

"Edward, you can't be serious. It's your apartment; I'm not kicking you out of your own bed," she looked adamant, and I could see her stubbornness shining through. I resisted my urge to smile, knowing that I'd probably give her the impression that she'd won the debate.

"Well, I'm not letting you sleep on the couch if that's what you're thinking of doing," I retorted. Her comfort was much more important to me than my own, and I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that she was tossing and turning on a couch.

She let out a deep sigh, realizing that we had arrived at an impasse, both of us determined to have the other sleep on the bed.

I noticed the lip bite and a flash of nervousness on her face before she started speaking cautiously, "How about we share?"

I took a moment to process her words, gauging her expression as I clarified, "You want us to share the bed?" I had to make sure I'd interpreted her words correctly, because they were pretty surprising.

"Well, _I_ don't want you sleeping on the couch, and _you_ don't want me sleeping on the couch, and your bed is huge," it was a king-sized bed, which was more than enough room for two people, but I was still uncertain.

The last thing I wanted to do was put Bella into a position where she did something she wasn't comfortable with doing, and from my worried expression, I could tell she understood where my train of thought was headed.

"I trust you, Edward," she said, and the conviction in her voice made me visibly gulp.

"You do?" I still had to ask, even though I knew I'd never cross any lines between us since I very aware of her feelings. After tonight's revelation, especially, I was being a hundred times more careful around her, and I knew that this would definitely have to be something we talk about so that I would know for sure what she was okay with.

Bella smiled, standing and planting a light kiss on my cheek, and I looked down at her. I thought for a long while, before letting out a sigh.

"Alright," I nodded, a small smile on my face as we moved over to the bed, her taking the left side and me taking the right.

We were using separate covers, and once we'd both gotten under them, I switched off the lamp beside me, forcing myself to shut my eyes, trying not to think about the fact that the girl who made my heart race was currently laying next to me, with little space between us.

I stayed awake for a while, not realizing how much time had passed as I had willed myself to sleep until I looked over at my clock to realize that it was already 4:00a.m – just under an hour had gone by.

I heard the regular breathing that notified me that Bella was sound asleep. I was beginning to get frustrated with myself, so once again, I shut my eyes, trying to clear my mind. Until I felt movement beside me.

At first, I shrugged it off, figuring that she was just twisting over to make herself feel more relaxed. But then, I began feeling her body being pressed against my side. Her hand rested against my chest and her head was leaning against my shoulder.

My body froze.

Now, I know what you must be thinking. Why the heck am I freaking out so much about Bella leaning against me? We'd been as close as this whenever we kissed.

It was the simple fact of us being on a bed alone that had me in a slight frenzy.

"Edward," I heard her melodic voice murmur, surprising me so much that I jumped. It honestly seemed as if she'd been asleep the entire time. I guess she'd woken up after moving around.

"Yeah?" I whispered back, waiting for her to answer, but only being met with slow breathing on her part.

_Wait a second. _

I continued to speak at the lowest volume possible, "Bella?"

No response.

An unconscious smile swept across my face at this new discovery that she apparently spoke in her sleep.

As if wanting to further prove my finding, I felt a clutch at my shirt suddenly, "Stay, please. Edward, stay."

My heart practically leapt out of chest, beating frantically as she lifted her head to be able to rest onto it.

I took a few deep breaths, remaining still for a moment, before carefully pulling my left arm free so that it was able to gently stroke her back. I continued with the deep breaths before speaking calmly.

"I'm right here, Bella," I planted a kiss on her forehead, finally allowing myself to loosen up. "I won't leave you," I lowered my voice, watching her face once again return to its peaceful, angelic state. I didn't miss the small smile on her lips as she cuddled further into me.

* * *

I woke up to the smell of pancakes and a strangely cold body, turning over only to be met with an empty spot next to me.

I blinked, scrunching my eyebrows together. I was pretty certain that I hadn't had so much to drink that I'd completely hallucinated Bella and I sleeping in the same bed.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, attempting to tame my hair as I walked out of my room and into the kitchen, only to see Emmett and Jasper sitting at the bar stools as Bella flipped over a pancake without the use of a spatula, earning several loud cheers from the boys.

"Edward, she's a keeper," Emmett commented upon seeing me, and I could only grin, looking across at Bella.

"I know."

She currently had her hair tied up in a messy bun, making her look all the more attractive as she turned off the stove, passing each of us a plate containing two large pancakes, as well as another plate containing extras just in case.

"Are the girls still asleep?" she wondered aloud, after greeting me with a long hug.

"Rosalie won't be up for another few hours, and Alice has a migraine, so I just gave her some Advil and told her to sleep it off," Jasper answered her, as she nodded, her mouth forming a small 'o'.

Bella ended up grabbing a plate for herself, pouring the maple syrup on as we all devoured the warm, delicious breakfast.

"Ditch Edward and marry me," Emmett said after his third pancake, making my eyes narrow and Bella let out a laugh.

"Are they really that good?" she asked, referring to the pancakes, the reason behind Emmett's outburst; only to hear Jasper respond, "They're better."

I agreed with them one hundred percent on that, appreciating the mouthwatering goods, as well as the glasses of orange juice that had been set out for all of us.

"So what are the plans for today?" I asked, once everyone had finished eating their fill of pancakes, still sitting on the barstools, sipping on the juice.

"No idea. We don't have classes today, and I'm in desperate need of some leisure," Jasper answered, getting a "Hear, hear" from both Bella and Emmett.

"Let's go to the movies," Bella suggested, and we all looked around, giving nods and shrugs of "Why not?"

"I can't remember the last time I've been to the cinema," I confessed, really having to think long and hard about it.

"Okay, well, clearly that needs to change," Bella's eyes had widened seeing that I wasn't just joking, "So, it's settled? When the girls wake up, we'll start the process of going home and getting ready."

"Sounds good," I answered, as Jasper and Emmett stood from their chairs, apparently having already made plans to go head-to-head on a game of Grand Theft Auto. I wasn't surprised that they'd become fast friends already, bonding over their mutual love for video games.

I glanced over at Bella, seeing that she was already looking over at me. We both smiled, and I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking about my next move and whether or not I should make it.

I decided to just go for it, "Can we talk?"

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**A/N: So again, not really an eventful chapter, and I honestly feel SO BAD for making you guys wait this long! Just a little disclaimer: I don't drink so if I mess up facts about how people are when they're drunk/how quickly people get drunk, sorry! **

**This week was super busy for me, and I really thought that the weekend would be different. It was my birthday on Friday but I didn't have plans. Then my parents ended up taking me out to a really late meal with my aunt and uncle so writing on Friday night was out of the question. And then I planned to write on Saturday after dinner with my friends (which actually turned out to be a surprise party - so sweet), but again, my parents had a really happening social life and they roped me into it. Shoutout to my parents for having more friends than me. **

***sigh* anyway! I go on Christmas break after this week, so hopefully I'll sort myself out. But thank you guys so much for 300 reviews, and just being the loveliest people in the world. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you for all of the alerts &amp; favourites!**

**And thanks for reviewing: **_**Anita (Guest), Stephie25001, brebre99, SandPrincess13, Bugsmamawolf, sujari6, Calista (Guest), Monyetta, bloodredeclipse, gi-freakazoid, Shmandypants28, sandy4321, Maggie Davis, cbmorefie, Yali . Page, michael . vandebroek, jansails, Em2017, TwilighterSam1989, misstresswillow, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight._

_Warning: There are a few Mockingjay: Part One Spoilers!_

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Chapter 15

Bella 

The question _Can we talk_? tended to have a really awful connotation associated with it. _Can we talk?_ generally acted as a prompt for a breakup, so when Edward's eyes peered earnestly into mine, I felt a bit queasy.

But after a moment or two, I simply nodded, forcing a smile.

Edward and I had only been seeing each other romantically for a week now, so if those were his intentions – to end the relationship right here – I would probably survive. Just barely, though.

He seemed anxious, and I tried to quell my own nervousness at the prospect of what was in store for this 'talk' of ours, hoping to God above that I was just being overly pessimistic, and not at all realistic.

The first soothing signal I received was Edward's hand grasping mine gently in his as he led the way, immediately shutting down all negative thoughts.

Surely if he was planning on cutting our time of dating short he wouldn't still be holding my hand.

Maybe I'd made him uncomfortable last night with us sharing the same bed. Maybe I'd done something embarrassing.

Internally, I cringed, already feeling flustered and apologetic, even before he'd begun to open his mouth.

He shut his bedroom door behind us, pulling me in front of him, staying awfully close to me.

He took a step back, still wearing his signature crooked smile but now looking like he was about to get down to business.

"So… last night," he started, bringing his right hand up to his hair and running his fingers through the silky mess.

My face paled.

I wished he wouldn't just leave his sentence hanging right there. After all, last night had been filled with a lot awkward moments on my part, so I was going to need a bit more specificity.

"Yeah?" I tried - and thankfully, succeeded - to keep my voice from shaking.

"Well, there's actually more than one thing I want to talk about," Edward continued, biting the inside of his cheek as he thought about how he was going to get to his point.

"Okay," I laughed nervously, looking down at my feet, "Start with the first thing that comes to your mind."

"You've never had sex," he blurted out, before his eyes widened and his face almost began to turn as red as mine was currently.

"I mean I'm not… saying that's a bad thing. At all," he frantically attempted to perform some damage control, and I hid my slight amusement at his discomfort.

"I haven't either," he added on nonchalantly, as if trying to discuss the weather, and I just about almost turned into a tomato at that point. I wasn't uncomfortable that he was telling me about his sex life, but I was more shocked about the fact that it was pretty much nonexistent for him.

Of course, I understood that he was a reserved guy, who hadn't had any previous relationships. But still, it was hard to believe that someone like him had never taken up any of the willing offers. Then again, I couldn't very well imagine Edward being so completely casual about a one-night stand. Especially after how terrified he seemed to be last night after I'd suggested we share the same bed space.

"But I'm getting off track, I think," he rubbed the back of his neck, and my lips twitched. His eyebrows creased, regaining his previous train of thought.

"I think I know where this is going," I interrupted him, as he still seemed to be composing himself, and my words instantly got his attention.

He cocked an eyebrow, "You do?"

I did. I had a feeling it had a great deal to do with boundaries, and wanting to know what was allowed, and what was completely inappropriate. Where I stood.

"I didn't ever go anywhere beyond kissing in my last relationship because I didn't want to. At least, not with him," I bit my lip.

"I mentioned this before, but what I had with Jacob wasn't love. When I was with him, I almost wished I felt more for him, because I hated being so detached from everything while he was nothing but devoted. But you can't really force something like love, you know?" I shrugged, sitting on the edge of Edward's bed now as he stared intently at me, before nodding slowly.

"What I'm getting at is that I wouldn't get that close to someone unless I knew for sure that what we had was solid, and I could see myself spending a great chunk of my life with them. So if you were wondering if I hadn't done it because I was opposed to the idea of pre-marital sex, it's not that," I added as an afterthought. I'd actually lied and used that as an excuse when I had been with Jake to get him to stop pushing me. At that point, I'd felt that saying that I wasn't ready just wasn't good enough for him.

Edward seemed to be absorbing this information and taking it all well, opening then closing his mouth, "I feel the same way. I just wanted to make sure that last night wasn't weird for you. I needed to know I wasn't crossing any imaginary lines, or moving too quickly."

We'd slept in the same bed, and that had been it. But I understood that it was the idea of spending the night with someone that was pretty monumental. He wanted to ensure that we hadn't taken things too far. Once again, he was reminding me of just how old-fashioned he really was – but hey, no complaints there.

"You weren't crossing anything. I meant what I said last night. I _do_ trust you," I gave a smile, as Edward smiled right back, coming to sit beside me on the bed.

"And since we're on the topic of last night," he looked across at me shyly, and I detected a slight hint of laughter in his voice.

I covered half of my face with my hand, "I did something humiliating, didn't I?"

He let out a chuckle, shaking his head, "You talk in your sleep. Did you know that?"

I did. But it'd been a while since I'd had a sleepover with anyone, so that small fact about myself had been forgotten.

I had a tendency to spill some of my deepest secrets in my sleep, and from the look that Edward was currently giving me, I assumed I'd spilled a few.

"What'd I say?" my face was still covered as I anticipated his response, hoping it hadn't been too mortifying.

"Nothing bad, I promise. I mean, you _did_ mention my – how did you put it – 'sexy bed hair', and my, um, 'dazzling green eyes', quite a few times," he was full on laughing at this point, and I just about wanted to die.

I had a feeling that the blood was going to remain in my cheeks for all of eternity.

"But," he chuckled, attempting to regain his composure as he looked across at me, "besides that, you said some things that got me thinking."

He looked serious at this point, and I visibly gulped, sensing a change of atmosphere.

"Like what?" I was hoping and praying that I hadn't mentioned my fast-growing feelings for him, particularly the 'L' word.

"You said a couple of things, but one thing you kept repeating was that you didn't want me to leave you," a ghost of a smile appeared on Edward's smooth lips, and I found myself inhaling sharply.

"Did you mean that?" he asked, as if this was some matter of great importance to him.

I didn't want to scare Edward off, but I felt like I'd already done that with all of my sleep talking. And, plus, there was the fact that I was a terrible liar, so he'd see right through it if I told him no.

As usual, I just settled for the truth, "Yes. It actually scares me how much I mean it, considering the fact that we've only known each other for a couple of weeks."

Edward's eyes stayed on me for a couple of seconds, before his smile turned into his crooked grin. Before I could process what he was doing, I felt his lips press against mine, feeling that it was second nature for my hands to go to his neck, pulling him close.

Unfortunately, all of this leaning on his part caused me to lose my balance sitting on the bed, so that before I had time to react, we were both falling backwards and crashing down onto the bed.

We immediately broke apart – me giggling - and seeing Edward seeming quite frustrated that the kiss had clearly gotten a little awkward. But, it wasn't anything that couldn't be rectified.

I traced my fingers lightly across his cheek as we both lay facing each other.

"How about we try that again?" I smiled, inching closer to him, and his expression relaxed, my favorite smile once again breaking out across his face.

As soon as our lips made contact, I felt Edward shift his body so that rather than lying beside me, he was hovering directly above me. He brought himself closer to me, so that our bodies were touching, and even though I'd felt them before, it seemed to be that through the thin cotton t-shirt, it was impossible not to feel his abs.

I sighed into his open mouth, weaving my fingers through his hair, as he made sure to keep his body weight off of me.

Our tongues tangled together, and as always, I felt myself smile against his lips. I only allowed him to pull away when we were both practically suffocating, watching as his eyes shut and his forehead touched mine, and we both continued to pant.

His eyes opened to reveal that ever-startling vibrant green colour that seemed to be more full of life now than ever.

I pressed both hands against his cheeks, actually feeling as he smiled, unable to stop myself from smiling back.

"Bella! Are you ready to go?" Rosalie yelled from Edward and Emmett's kitchen, as I let out a deep sigh, hearing Edward's chuckle.

He planted a chaste kiss onto my lips, before carefully moving off of me, as I got back into a sitting up position.

Seeing as we hadn't planned on spending the night here last night, I hadn't brought an extra set of clothes, or any of my toiletries, so the plan was that I'd change out of Edward's comfortable clothing –I actually didn't want to after realizing how much they smelled of him – before changing into my outfit from last night.

Then, I'd go home, shower and get dressed in a clean set of clothes for the movie at 3p.m.

As Rosalie gave an overly tender goodbye kiss to Emmett, I turned to Edward, settling for a peck on the lips, and a simple promise that I'd see him later.

I was realizing that the more time I spent with him, the less I wanted to leave his company. In other words, I was entering dangerous territory here.

* * *

After cleaning myself up, and blow-drying my freshly washed hair, I picked out a simple, cozy outfit that would be perfect for the movie day.

I'd actually been desperate to head to the cinemas this week seeing as _Mockingjay: Part One_ had just premiered. Since reading the books two years ago, and watching all of the movies in the theatre, it had been sort of like tradition for me to see the movie as soon as it was released.

Rosalie and Alice had seen _Catching Fire_ with me, but they'd mostly only gone for the eye candy – A.K.A. Liam Hemsworth and Sam Claflin.

Hey, I wasn't condemning them in any way. Even though I did genuinely love the series of novels and movies, I was still a girl, who appreciated a good-looking guy.

After pulling my brown knit sweater over a tank top, finishing the outfit with a pair of skinny jeans and black ankle boots, I picked up my handbag, getting ready to leave.

Surprisingly, I only had to wait a couple of minutes until Rosalie was ready to go, and soon enough, we were departing our apartment. The others were supposed to be on their way there as well.

"So you and Edward, huh?" Rosalie smirked, as I gave her a look, not stopping in our walk.

"So you and Emmett, huh?" I mimicked her, as she only rolled her eyes.

"Bella, you've been going out with Edward for a week, and you two are practically inseparable. That's not normal," she ignored my comment about her boyfriend, focusing on me instead. _Yay_.

I bit my lip, unsure of how I was supposed to respond to her observation.

I mean, I had noticed this as well, but I tried not to. I tried not to think about how much I craved his presence, knowing that I'd hate myself if I were to become clingy. What I constantly had to repeat to myself was the fact that we needed to take things slow, even if I felt like I'd known Edward for years and not weeks.

"Is it that obvious?" I wondered, thinking that I'd been downplaying it successfully.

I was met with a smile on Rosalie's part: "Bella, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm actually in awe of how compatible you two seem to be. I'm just really happy that you've found someone like him. I wanted to strangle Jacob the day I met him, but Edward." She shook her head.

"He's good for you. And he's actually a really nice person," Rosalie commented, and my eyebrows immediately rose. It was rare to get a compliment from her, so this was definitely a big moment, and it meant a great deal to me that Rosalie liked Edward. With or without her support, I still would've ventured into this relationship, but the fact that she was standing behind definitely felt like a weight off my shoulders.

"Thank you for your approval," I smiled, still recovering from my shock.

"What's the latest with Emmett?" I asked, knowing that he'd probably be making steps to make his feelings for Rosalie pretty obvious now. After our little talk, I got the feeling that he'd be making things official pretty soon.

"I think he's taking me out to dinner after the movie," my good friend shrugged, but I could clearly note the excitement in her grey eyes.

"I'm glad I finally got to meet him. He seems… energetic," I was trying to find a nice way to describe him, and Rosalie burst out laughing at my expression, only nodding.

"That's one way of putting it," she laughed, still wearing a smile on her face as if currently being projected into some meaningful memory.

We'd arrived at the entrance to the cinema, spotting Edward and Emmett, but it appeared that Alice and Jasper had only now left their apartment. Thankfully, it wasn't going to take them more than ten minutes to get here, and in that time, we'd buy the tickets, go to the concession stand and get lots of unhealthy, but tasty movie snacks.

We were currently standing behind a couple in the line for snacks, watching as they played tonsil-hockey for an uncomfortable amount of time whilst we were standing right behind them.

Really, I understand if you can't control your hormones, but at least respect the people behind you enough not to make those gag-worthy smacking noises with your lips.

Rosalie and I kept cringing, but Emmett and Edward just attempted to hide their laughter, not really knowing how else to react to the situation.

Soon enough, it was their turn to order, and I continued internally retching when his hand went to her waist, slowly sliding down to grab hold of her butt.

I gave Rosalie an "Is this real life?" look as Emmett loudly guffawed, unfortunately drawing the overly affectionate guy's attention to the group of us.

I played it off brilliantly, if I do say so myself, "I know. I can't believe that raccoon attacked him from the roof. Hold on, I think I have a video."

I let out a few giggles, not having to force them since my friends were currently trying to reign in their laughter at the far-fetched experience I'd just made up to save Emmett's hide.

I didn't stop fiddling with my phone until the guy had turned back around to collect his things, and led his girlfriend a safe distance away from us.

"A raccoon? Of all things to say, Bella. A raccoon?" Rosalie chortled, and I pouted as Edward held me close to him, vibrating with laughter.

By this time, Jasper and Alice had arrived, helping us collect our orders, consisting mainly of popcorn, nachos, fries, and various flavors of soda. Then, we handed the usher our tickets, entering through the doors of the theatre.

The previews were only now beginning, and we all snickered when Emmett actually _ran_ to sit down in a good set of seats so that he'd be able to watch the movie trailers.

I couldn't really blame him for his enthusiasm, considering I was practically the same. Movie trailers always got me excited for what I was going to be coming back to see.

I was pretty excited about _The Hobbit_, but Jasper and Edward seemed to be the only people on that boat with me.

Five minutes later, the movie was finally beginning. From Emmett's exuberance, I'd stereotyped him as someone who'd make comments, and ask questions throughout a movie, but he proved me wrong. I guessed it was all of the acting in _Mockingjay_, and the fact that the entire movie was quite solemn – admittedly, I ended up tearing up a few times even though I knew that what I was watching was a complete work of fiction.

Edward smiled a little when I tried to hide my watery eyes, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, and planting a kiss on my forehead.

**(A/N: The spoilers happen around here.)**

It was only at the scene of Peeta's return, when Katniss reunites with him that all of my friends broke their silence – along with pretty much everyone else in the theatre, who gasped.

I was the only one who'd read the book amongst my friends, so they all turned to me with wide eyes, wanting to know what the hell had happened, and why Peeta was choking someone he was supposed to be in love with.

"The Capitol basically trained him to hate her. You'll see," I whispered to Edward, who passed the message along to the others.

And in the next scene, when this information was detailed, they all seemed to have reached enlightenment on the matter. Still, it was a sad moment for them, especially Alice and Rosalie who were basically distraught over the fact that Peeta was so unhinged.

The only thing that made up for it was Gale, who all of us continuously sighed about.

"I forgot how dreamy he is," I whispered to Alice who was to my left, but Edward heard and narrowed his eyes at me as I pursed my lips, controlling my giggles.

The last thing that we all saw flash across the screen was Peeta thrashing about, and suddenly, the lights in the movie theatre began to brighten, as several of my friends began blinking their eyes and readjusting.

**(A/N: They end here.) **

"I can't wait a whole year to find out what happens next!" Jasper remarked, obviously peeved that he was going to be starved of this knowledge until another twelve months.

"Jasper, just read the books," I laughed, as we all began to stand up.

"I'm usually against reading for fun, but I think I might have to take you up on that offer," Alice shook her small head at the screen, as I grinned.

Well at least they'd all enjoyed the movie as thoroughly as I had.

We began walking out of the theatre, dumping our trash, and quickly finishing our drinks, just as I bumped into none other than Leah Clearwater.

Like Jacob, she was a family friend from Forks. I had heard of the news that she'd moved to New Hampshire after taking a gap year at home, and even though we'd been friendly since childhood, during our senior year, things had gone awry.

I'd always had a feeling that she had a thing for Jacob, which made my going out with him all the more uncomfortable. I'd always catch her shooting me dirty looks out of the corner of her eye whenever we crossed paths.

This time wasn't any different.

"Bella," she didn't even try to hide her animosity towards me, openly glaring.

I figured the news of Jacob's and my breakup hadn't yet reached Leah, or else she wouldn't still be acting as if I'd stolen a prized possession of hers.

"Hi, Leah. How have you been?" I asked politely, as Edward finished his water, throwing away the bottle as he stuffed his hands into his pocket, hesitating to come over and meet me. He seemed as if he wasn't sure whether he should interrupt.

I gestured for Edward to come over to us so I could introduce the two of them, and hopefully break this ice between Leah and me.

When I'd initially realized the extent to her feelings for Jacob, I'd actually attempted to use that as an excuse to call things off. He knew how much I hated being involved in drama, and something about Leah obsession with him just screamed trouble.

But of course, when I'd breached the subject, Jacob had simply shut me down, brushing the entire thing off. Leah wouldn't ever do anything to hurt me, and I knew that, but I'd been hoping that if I had played my cards well enough, I could've gotten out of the relationship early on without any hard feelings. Alas, you can see that that clearly hadn't worked out.

Edward held my hand, casting a polite smile towards Leah, who seemed shaken to her core at the fact that my hand was currently encased in Edward's.

"Leah, this is Edward, the guy I'm currently dating," I smiled as Edward squeezed my hand, using his free one to shake Leah's.

"Wait… so you and Jacob…" she whispered, seeming at a loss for words as I nodded my confirmation.

"Yeah, we ended things about a month ago. I assumed you'd already heard," I bit my lip, wondering if I should tack on something else.

_Why not_, I mentally shrugged.

"I'm sure he'd be happy to see you again. I can't exactly be there for him seeing as things are still awkward between us, but I know he'd enjoy seeing a familiar face," I smiled, patting her forearm as she gave me a surprised look.

"Nice seeing you again," I hurried to end the conversation, leading Edward away, only then looking across to see that his jaw had dropped open.

Alice and the others were waiting for me to finish my conversation, but upon seeing Edward and I walking towards them, they began to continue moving slightly ahead of us.

"Did you just give that girl an invitation to get close to your ex?" Edward seemed beside himself with wonder, wanting to make sure that I knew what I'd just done.

"I wouldn't put it that way. But, I guess so," I shrugged, smiling, and laughing when his face still seemed to be masked in shock.

I turned on my heels, unexpectedly tilting my head up and meeting his lips with mine.

Of course, I still kept it short and sweet because the last thing I wanted was to become that butt-grabbing couple – at least, in public anyway.

"Why would you do that for him?" Edward asked, taking hold of my hand once again, as I looked ahead, pondering his question.

"Because even though things between him and me didn't end on the best note, he was still a good friend of mine in the beginning. That girl, Leah, cares about him the way that I never did. I want him to be happy – to have what I have right now," I lowered my voice towards the end of my sentence, feeling as Edward's grip on my hand tightened ever so slightly.

He paused in his walk, turning to face me, making sure his eyes were gazing into mine, "You're so… incredible, Bella. How on Earth did I manage to stumble upon you?" he whispered, looking down at me, lightly tracing his thumb across my cheek.

I was practically breathless, feeling the power of his emerald eyes on me. Not to mention his words had me swooning.

"I could say the same about you," I stuttered, watching as his lips twitched.

I really could. After meeting Edward, I truly felt blessed. It just seemed unreal to me that I'd somehow come across someone so pure and generous – someone I honestly wanted to be with for a very long time. Maybe even the rest of my life.

* * *

**A/N: Lots of little conversations in this chapter. Really hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**If some of you are getting bored, I assure that I have a few things planned for the next few chapters, and I'm hoping that they turn out how I envisioned them to. Nothing too extraordinary, but it'll still be something.**

**Really sorry for another late update, but I'm so pleased that a lot of you keep following this story and reviewing, and just being so sweet! Thank you. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thank you for the alerts &amp; favourites!**

**And thanks to these really amazing people for reviewing: **_**Stephie25001, lupis93, sujari6, Monyetta, KizzaKat, Em2017, michael . vandebroek, cbmorefie, twiannfav, SandPrincss13, Maggie Davis, Kirsty (Guest), TwilighterSam1989, Shmandypants28, jansails, **_**and****2**_**Guests. **_

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 16

Bella

I was currently lounging in Edward's bedroom, laying my head on his chest while his arm was slung around my shoulder.

We were both passing the time reading some books, since thankfully, Spring Break was coming up and both of us had finished our pending assignments that were due.

I was halfway through _The Scorch Trials_ when Edward softly interrupted, "Bella?"

I tilted my head up, giving him my full attention, and only now seeing the expression of conflict that he was wearing.

"We've known each other for almost two months at this point, even if half of that time was technically not in real life," he described, with a small smile on his face, continuing, "And we've been dating for almost a month."

I had a smile on my face, nodding to confirm that all of this information was, in fact, true.

"Really, I have two things to ask," Edward began, his green eyes staring imploringly into my own.

"Shoot," I smiled, not wanting to be cocky in assuming what at least one of the questions was about, but also having a strong feeling that it was going to be something relating to the status of our relationship. So far, we weren't exclusive. Technically, we were currently free to date other people, which was something that neither of us had expressed interest in doing.

"I like you," he seemed almost pained to say the words, "Even though at this point, I don't really feel as if 'like' is a strong enough word to describe the way I feel about you. But I won't get into that just yet."

I bit my lip, giving him time to continue on his train of thought, even though inside, my heart was on the verge of beating right out of my chest.

"I guess it's a formality that I ask, and make sure we're on the same page," he grinned, "Even though I already feel like you are, will you be my girlfriend, Bella?"

I was trying to contain my happiness, but it was hard to fight away the massive grin that was breaking out across my face.

"Of course," I smiled, planting a sweet kiss on his lips as he held me close to him.

We broke away quickly, but he took the time to brush away a few stray strands of hair from my face, looking deep into my eyes with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Remember on our first date, when I kind of hinted that I'd really like to bring you home to Chicago with me?" he gulped as my breath hitched.

_He wasn't_…

"Well that brings me to my second proposition," he breathed, gauging my reaction, and naturally taking my shock for the uneasy kind.

"I understand if you want to say no. Maybe I'm moving too fast, I don't know. I've just sprung the girlfriend question on you, and now this," he was rambling, like he always did whenever he felt anxious.

I didn't find it annoying in the least, though. It served as a reminder to me that Edward truly did care about this in a serious way, and he wanted nothing more than to make steps in the right direction.

"Are you asking me to fly with you to Chicago over break?" I smiled, taking his hand in mine, and witnessing an immediate relief occur with his demeanor.

Edward took a deep breath, "Yes. I mean, obviously, you'd only have to stay a few days, because I know that you'd want to spend the rest of the time with your own family."

He rubbed the back of his neck, not ignoring the fact that I had yet to accept - or deny - his offer.

What he didn't know was that I'd been avoiding asking him the very same question with regards to my own folks, seeing as both were interested in learning more about the guy I'd been seeing – well, now, my boyfriend. I'll admit, my mom was a hundred times more enthusiastic about the entire idea than my father, but that was mainly due to the fact that she was still practically a teenager, easily excited over boys. Charlie, on the other hand…

Well, Jacob's father, Billy was pretty much Charlie's closest friend. Which meant that he was none too thrilled to hear the news of my breakup. He was still a work in progress to get on Team Edward.

"I'd love to, Edward. Personally, I don't feel like you're rushing anything. But um, _actually_, I was hoping that I'd also get the chance to introduce you to my parents," I ended, now feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, and the nervousness transfer from Edward to me.

For a few seconds, he stared at me, unblinking.

"Really?" it almost sounded as if he was choking.

He cleared his throat, and the hints of his crooked grin began making their appearance as he began to apparently get over his initial shock, "Well, yes. I'd really like that, Bella. You've actually told your parents about me?"

A laugh bubbled at my lips, "No, I've kept your existence completely hidden from them," he noted the sarcasm in my voice, and I continued on in my explanation, "Of course I have. I mean, it was definitely nerve-wracking at first because I'd only just told them both about the breakup, and I really didn't want them to think you were a rebound, because you're not. And I'm certain you know that."

Just in case, I quirked an eyebrow towards Edward as he beamed, giving a nod.

"And well, my mom can see how much I care about you, and it's a little surprising for her to see me so crazy about someone," I breathed right there, feeling like I was indirectly pouring my heart out to Edward.

"My dad…" I left the sentence hanging, earning an eyebrow raise and frown from my boyfriend.

"He's still warming up to the idea. He's really close to Jacob's father, and he was pretty fond of Jacob as well, so, he's not as over the moon," I rolled my eyes, really hoping that Edward wouldn't take it personally. And even though he gave a short shrug, I still knew that he was peeved about that.

"Well, I guess I'll have to change his mind about that, then," he had that look of determination on his face that I so admired. Obviously, it was important to have the approval of your significant other's parents, and in this case, Edward wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

I took his face into my hands, kissing him deeply, unconsciously sighing in contentment once he used his arm to pull me flush against him. The smile in response was expected, and Edward's accompanying smile was all the more welcome.

So that was it, then. I was going to meet my boyfriend's parents, and he was supposed to be meeting mine.

I could already see this all being very, very interesting.

* * *

"So, when do you guys leave for Florida?" Rosalie asked, digging into her calamari.

We were currently out for dinner, just the girls and me, having a quick bite for lunch at the local sports bar.

It was a Wednesday on the last week of school before Spring Break, and we had all decided to treat ourselves to a meal together since we were all on track with our studies and pending work.

"We're leaving on Sunday morning, and spending two days there. Then, Tuesday and Wednesday, we'll be over by my dad, before flying to Chicago to stay with Edward's parents until Sunday," I answered smoothly, having coordinated all of the travel plans with Edward, who was ridiculously organized with stuff like this.

"Are you nervous?" Alice piped up, reading me like a book, and continuing on, "It is a pretty nail-biting experience – either having your boyfriend meet your parents, or you meeting your boyfriend's parents."

"You're not really helping the situation here, Al," I smiled to give her the appearance that I was teasing, though I was being dead serious. I felt that my uneasiness had doubled after hearing her opinion of the entire process. If Alice – confident, quirky, bubbly Alice – had been anxious, then I was probably going to be a wreck.

"I wasn't finished," she cleared her throat, "Even though it's initially very awkward for both parties, when the ice is broken, things just flow so easily. Obviously, his parents are going to be asking you questions and trying to get an idea of the kind of person that you are, but once they do, everyone relaxes. Bella, you are literally the type of girl every parent wants their son to date, so don't stress too much about it."

I felt an immediate release of tension in my shoulders after hearing her quick pep talk, giving her an appreciative smile, "Thanks, Al. It means a lot coming from you."

She beamed, reaching over to grab some of my fries before going back to her lasagna.

"Okay, is it just me or does anyone else feel like we're currently being watched?" Rosalie wondered aloud, before slyly twisting her head so that she was in clear view of a brunette, glaring daggers right at her.

"Should I bother to ask her what her problem is?" her grey eyes were narrowed as she stared right back into the face of the girl who was currently sat with a few girlfriends, one of which I recognized as Tanya Denali – the same girl who had been flirting shamelessly with Edward during Jasper's surprise party. Not that I was angry or anything, considering the fact that we hadn't even been dating at that point.

I was pretty relieved to note that she was only giving me a cool stare, which probably meant that either she didn't know I was now Edward's girlfriend, or she wasn't too bothered by the idea.

The brunette stood up, and I was amazed at her height – she was at least 5'10". Unconsciously, I had shrunken back in my seat a bit as she stalked over to us. But both Rosalie and Alice sat straighter in their seats.

"So you're Rosalie, huh?" she had her arms folded across her chest, and the daggers did not cease.

"And you are?" Rose remained completely unfazed as she glared at the intimidating giant in front of us. "If you don't mind hurrying whatever this is up, I'd like to get back to my meal with my friends."

"Well, as a _friend_, I'd like to let you know that your so-called _boyfriend_ hasn't been completely loyal to you," her mouth was a thin line as Rosalie's face remained calm, but visibly paler than before.

"And you expect me to believe _you_, a complete stranger?" now Rose's arms folded, and I watched her signature head tilt as the girl – who still had yet to provide her name – outstretched her arm containing her smartphone.

On display was a picture of Emmett with his arms wrapped around the brunette, and – more importantly – his lips locked in a seemingly passionate kiss with her.

"And that wasn't the end of the night," her eyebrows rose and a small, almost unnoticeable smirk could be seen on her lips. Already, I despised this girl.

I could tell that Rosalie was trying her best to keep her emotions at bay, but when she abruptly stood from the table, I realized that things had definitely gone awry, and this girl had unfortunately gotten to her.

Alice stayed put to pay the bill, but she firmly gestured for me to follow our friend as Satan's spawn continued to stand rooted to her spot in front of our table.

"Rosalie!" I called after her once spotting her blonde head bobbing along as she powerwalked down the street.

Reluctantly, I began to jog after her, even though I was terribly out of shape – it was a constant wonder of mine that I was still quite slender regardless of my diet and lack of exercise. I was slightly out of breath by the time I caught up to her.

"Rose," I breathed, lightly touching her arm, half-expecting her to yank it away.

"If you want some space, I'll give you that. But locking off from us isn't the smartest thing to do right now," I advised, knowing that in times of conflict, my friends had truly been my clarity.

"I can't believe him!" Rosalie pressed her hand against her forehead as we moved out of the way on the sidewalk, and I began to bite my lip.

"Okay, I don't want to appear to be taking his side or anything, but do you truly believe that that picture was taken while he was seeing you? For all we know, they could've dated before and she could just be some psycho ex," I'd heard many stories similar to this one about crazy ex-girlfriends (and boyfriends) who'd purposely sabotaged relationships.

Rosalie shook her head, "That was the first thing that ran through my mind."

"But," she pursed her lips, looking a mixture of furious and hurt, which was expected.

"Bella, in the picture, he had that tattoo of a cross on his upper arm. He got that a few weeks after he'd started dating me," her breathing was beginning to come out shallower.

"I know - we weren't technically a couple as yet, but _still_. He made it seem like I was the only girl he thought of; the only girl he wanted to be with. And then he just goes and makes out with some slut," she shook her head, looking up as she tried to blink away her watery eyes.

"God, I feel like such an idiot. I actually thought he was different," she rolled her eyes, putting on a mask of solemnity, as if seeming to accept this newfound realization that Emmett was just like everyone else.

I felt pained hearing something as harsh as this coming out of her mouth. I knew that Rosalie was simply a strong woman, and from a young age, she had painted an image that men only wanted one thing, and no matter how hard you tried to be everything they ever wanted, they just couldn't ever be satisfied. Emmett had obviously changed this perspective of hers, but it had been short-lived.

Still, after only about two or three weeks of knowing Emmett, I couldn't very well see him going for another girl while he had Rosalie. The way he looked at her… it looked pretty real to me that he was in love with her.

I knew taking his side could result in some serious repercussions, so instead of speaking my mind, I simply gave a nod of acceptance, pulling my friend in for a hug, which she seemed grateful for.

I could feel her sigh against me, "Bella, what am I going to do?"

"I mean, do I talk to him? Do I break up with him? I can't even think about looking at him right now. All I can see is him all over _her_," she didn't even bother to hide her disgust, cringing outwardly.

Again, I felt like I was stepping on eggshells here, and I collected my thoughts before clearing my throat, "Rose, I think it'd be good if you take a step back for a second. I don't want you to do anything drastic before you hear his side of the story. I know that's not something you want to hear right now, but please, for now, just take some time to think about everything and let it simmer."

Expectedly, she wasn't very pleased with this form of advice from me, but I guess she trusted my opinion, and I could see her unwilling, but compliant nod.

"I want to kill him, so I guess stepping away would be smart for now."

"I just… can't help but feel like I can't trust him anymore," she bit her lip, and I could already feel myself internally flinching.

I didn't think Rosalie could ever find someone who was a better match for her than Emmett, so my ultimate plan involved hearing his side of the story first. And if the reasons for him kissing that girl – who I still felt I couldn't believe, even after seeing ocular proof – were valid, then I'd do whatever I could to make sure Rosalie didn't make the mistake of giving him up.

"I can't say I understand what you're feeling right now, but I can imagine. And, if you're up for it, I think staying in and watching _Grey's Anatomy_ would be a really great idea," I gave a small, nervous smile as I glanced over at her brooding figure.

If distracting her with her favorite TV show is what I needed to do to take her mind off of Emmett so that I could step in, then I would willingly do it. Something about the while encounter with What's-Her-Name just seemed way too coincidental for my liking.

First of all: why did she just _happen_ to have a picture of herself locked in a heated kiss with Emmett saved onto her phone? Second of all, why did she initially seem pissed off at Rosalie, before making Emmett out to be the bad guy?

"Yeah, I think some McDreamy is what I really need right about now," she ran her fingers through her wavy blonde hair, as I gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

"I'll tell Alice to meet us at home," I stated, promptly pulling out my phone and relaying that exact message to Alice, before inconspicuously asking if the girl had told her anything else after Rosalie had stormed out.

Later on, I learned that her name was Jane, and she had apparently been seeing Emmett for a couple of weeks before realizing that he was a two-timer.

My eyes had narrowed after reading that text, and I couldn't help but respond to Alice with a: "Do you really believe he could do something like that to Rose?"

It only took a few seconds for her to reply, with: "I honestly don't know what to believe because that picture looked pretty legitimate to me, but at the same time… I really like Emmett, and I can't imagine him dating Jane while he was that serious about Rose."

At least I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I guessed she would also be a great help if I was supposed to go through with this plan of getting Emmett back into Rosalie's good graces.

And of course, Edward would be the most important help of all.

I really hoped he would only enforce my beliefs that Emmett really was a great guy, and not at all what Jane was painting him out to be.

I knew it was going to be a difficult job getting Rosalie to listen to him, take his word for the incident, as well as gain that trust back, so I was going to need all the help I could get.

I guess, only time would tell how this would all work out. And with the whole Spring Break 'meeting-the-parents' thing going on, I didn't really have much time to set this plan in motion.

* * *

**A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!**

**I hope this was a pretty okay Christmas gift on my part :) and I can explain the late update! I flew out to Florida on Saturday, and even though I thought I'd still get some time to write while up here, it didn't really happen with all of the family stuff/shopping. I'm sorry it's shorter than usual, but I really just wanted to get something out. **

**I'm REALLY sorry, especially since I just promised you guys that updates would be more regular. Anyway, again, I want to thank all of you for the reviews I've received so far, and I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story! Let me know your thoughts on all of this Rose/Emmett upcoming drama. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for all of the alerts!**

**And thank you for reviewing: **_**twiannfav, 2brown-eyes, Kimmie2445, SandPrincess13, twi-hard fan (Guest), sujari6, TriforceandSheikahArts, cbmorefie, lupis93, Em2017, misstresswillow, michael . vandebroek, Yali . Page, sandy4321, TwilighterSam1989, Maggie Davis, jansails, NephilimKyla, Monyetta, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 17

Bella

"Emmett," Edward repeated, staring at me with the same, disbelieving look that he'd been wearing on his face for the past two minutes.

I gave a slow nod, "Yes."

After lunch with the girls, I'd made sure Edward was at home before rushing over to his apartment. Thankfully, Emmett was at classes until another hour, so at least I'd get to talk this through with Edward before getting to confront the man in question.

"And you don't believe it," Edward continued, finally letting it all sink in as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"No," I shook my head adamantly, "Do you?"

"I mean, Emmett's done some pretty wild stuff in the past, but never _cheating_. And with Rosalie… he's been really serious about her. I just can't see that happening," his jaw locked, eyebrows furrowing as he appeared to think deeply into this.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. But how do we rationalize the whole situation? It's all so… _weird_," I shook my head before leaning it against Edward's headboard, as he did the same.

"I don't know," he breathed.

"So, what do we do while we wait?" Edward turned his face towards me.

I gave a cheeky smile, pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth as I stared up at his soft lips, before glancing into his green eyes.

Following through with my plan, I took his face in my right hand, moving it down closer to mine so that our lips were on the verge of touching. All the while, Edward was giving me that same dazed look he always did whenever I surprised him with kisses.

At the last minute, as he began attempting to close the gap between us, I whispered, "Let's make something to eat. I'm _starving_."

Then, I pulled back, jumping off the bed, purposely avoiding glancing back until I reached his door. Then I swung around, giving him a full grin, watching his dropped jaw and frozen hands, which had been hovering and ready to hold me.

He shut his eyes, leaning his head back, letting out a low groan, "Bella."

I just continued to flash him an evil smirk, until he finally began to jump off of his bed, following me to the kitchen.

It wasn't long before he was grasping my left hand in his right one, gently tugging me back.

"Wait," his tone actually sounded quite urgent, so I made the mistake of turning back. Unexpectedly, he used full force in pulling my hand so that I stumbled right into his chest.

Despite myself, I let out a soft giggle as his hand brushed some of the hair away from my face, cupping my cheek in the process.

"Not so fast," and with that, he leaned down, pressing his lips against mine, as I felt a sigh escape my lips. There was never going to be a day where I stopped craving his kisses. We both enjoyed teasing each other, but ultimately, neither of us ever had enough self-control – which was both a good and bad thing.

My hands slowly began making their way into their favorite location of Edward's incredibly soft and luscious hair as both of his hands fell down to my waist. They repeatedly moved up and down the length of my torso as our mouths opened.

As his tongue entangled with mine, our lips continued to move eagerly against each other, and it was only when we heard a pair of keys twisting in the lock that we simultaneously broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Did I interrupt something?" Emmett focused on my red cheeks and Edward's hair that he was currently failing to tame, showing nothing but amusement.

I cleared my throat, surprisingly not as fazed by this as I normally would be, "I actually came to talk to you."

"Me?" surprise colored Emmett's voice, but it didn't stop his curiosity from getting the better of him.

"Do you guys want sex advice?" Emmett's eyes narrowed, giving us both a suspicious look. A few things happened all at once. Edward and I both yelled, "No!" simultaneously, causing Emmett to hold his hands up in defense as the door flew open to reveal a very pissed-off looking Rosalie.

Her mouth opened, eyes trained on Emmett, "You son of a…" She didn't finish her sentence since at that moment she spotted both Edward and me, giving her wide-eyed stares. She especially looked a bit guilty after noticing me, having just promised that she'd take a few days to simmer down.

Even I had known that that had been wishful thinking that Rosalie would actually follow through on that advice. She was much too strong-willed to do anything but what she thought was right. And in this case, what was right was yelling Emmett's ear off.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but there's no way in hell I can just sit at home and not constantly think about why in God's name this jerk was locking lips with some _slut_ at a club," she jabbed her finger into Emmett's chest, turning on him. "Do you really not respect me enough to tell me about it? You know, it's not even the kissing that freaking sucks. It's the lying."

And this was exactly what I had been trying to avoid.

* * *

"Just tell me the truth! Did you, or did you not kiss and take another girl home while you were seeing me?" Rosalie slammed her hand on the counter, looking livid, making Edward and me subtly back away.

Emmett had pretty much scratched his head whilst getting yelled at by Rosalie, looking a mixture of confused and embarrassed that this was happening while Edward and I were still in the room.

"Babe, what are you talking about? You know my track record, and it's not the best, but I wasn't lying when I said you were the only one I wanted to be with. Where is this all coming from?" he looked frustrated beyond reason, attempting to take Rosalie's hand in his.

Subtly, I tugged on Edward hand, but just before we could even escape the fire, Rosalie pulled her hand away, "Here's what: until you can actually man up and tell me the truth, don't call me." She turned on her heel, slamming the door behind her, but not without muttering a few choice words to describe Emmett.

About a minute passed as us three stood there in complete silence.

"So do either of you know what that was about?" Emmett's eyes were wide, staring at both Edward and me, and we were both equally at a loss for words.

Finally, I sighed, gesturing to the closed door, "_That's _what I'd come to talk to you about. I knew it was only a matter of time before Rosalie confronted you - even though I advised her against it until she cooled down – and I was hoping I could get your side of the story."

"_What _story? Guys, the thought of this being one huge – brilliantly planned out – prank keeps running through my head. I mean, there's just no other way that Rosalie would come in here and accuse me of _cheating. _I may have been with a lot of girls, but never at the same time," Emmett's eyes squinted as he made a face that expressed his disgust, and I immediately glanced across at Edward who was carefully gauging Emmett's reactions.

So far, they seemed pretty legitimate to me.

I quickly made motions that we all take a seat on the barstools as I began explaining the situation to Emmett, after which, his confusion had only increased.

"You saw a picture of me kissing another girl? And you're absolutely certain that it was taken recently?"

I made mention of the fact that his tattoo was clearly showcased on his upper arm, and that this fact had only been pointed out to me by Rosalie, who knew he'd gotten it when they were dating.

"I mean, she gets that the two of you weren't official or anything, but… she's still really disappointed that you'd betray her like that," I tried to lessen the blow as much as I could, knowing that the words coming out of my mouth were not words that he particularly wanted to hear. At the same time, they needed to be said.

He still looked deep in thought, and Edward questioned, "You can't think of any instances when you were with this girl? Maybe you got really drunk – "

Edward cut himself off when Emmett looked up at him and they shared a look, "Right, you always set a limit for yourself when you go out." Even I had heard all about that. Though he was all for having a good time and drinking in the confinement of his home, whenever he was out, he always made sure to stay somewhat sober. He'd gotten lost one too many times, ending up in some of the sketchy areas of New Hampshire.

"Em, it's looking like pretty solid proof. I wanna believe that you didn't do it, but that's getting a bit difficult now. We're not going to judge you, but we need to hear the truth," Edward continued, frowning at Emmett, who only looked even more defeated.

"I _am_ telling you the truth! I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a lying bastard. I have not been with another girl for months, so I have no idea how that picture is even in existence."

"Could you describe this girl one more time? What was her name?" his dark brown eyes zeroed in on me as I bit my lip. Edward's argument had proved to be quite valid in that there was no way Emmett could've made a drunken mistake – not that that was excusable, but it would still be better than him consciously kissing another girl.

But still, he had grown on me, and I knew how Rosalie and him both felt about each other, and the fact that they were having serious trouble in paradise was upsetting, especially seeing as they were one of my favourite couples. If Emmett _had_ cheated, Rosalie would have an extremely difficult time trusting him again – if she even decided to stay with him, that is.

"She was really tall, slim… um, long brown hair," I shut my eyes briefly, thinking of the brunette's name, feeling it on the tip of my tongue, "Janice, Jenny, Jamie."

My eyes flew open as my memory came right back to me, and Emmett grimaced. We both said the name "Jane" at the same time.

I was taken aback. "Wait, so you actually know her?" I'd expected that he'd simply had a fling with some random girl at a club, but the fact that he was actually familiar with her was not sitting well with me, and I had a feeling that Rose would feel the same way if she found out.

This would probably mean that this thing with Jane had been an ongoing thing while he had been with Rosalie. Oh, Emmett.

"We dated. A couple of months ago… you know, until I realized she was a complete _psychopath_," Emmett's voice raised a couple octaves higher on the last word, and Edward's jaw dropped.

"Wait, wait, wait," he held up his hands, turning to me, "_Jane _is the girl who approached you? The girl stalked Emmett for months without his knowledge. He was on the verge of getting a restraining order after seeing that she'd had pictures of him from way they'd even begun going out."

Emmett shuddered, apparently reliving that dreadful experience.

"I haven't seen that girl in seven or eight _months_. I'd _never_ in a million years kiss another girl when I have Rosalie Hale in my life. This has to be some kind of elaborate revenge plan," Emmett shook his head, seeming to calm down upon realizing that the girl who'd approached us was his crazy ex.

I took a moment to digest his words, but even then, things hadn't changed that much.

"Okay, so psycho ex is behind all this drama, but it still doesn't change the fact that there's a picture of the two of you kissing. There is literally proof that you have kissed her, and appeared to be enjoying it," I hated to be a total Debbie Downer, but this was a fact.

I wanted to believe that Emmett hadn't been in contact with Jane for months, but the picture told a different story.

"But is it really proof?" Edward's eyebrows quirked, and Emmett gave him a grateful look, after seconds of busting his brain trying to figure out when on earth this picture had been taken and why he couldn't remember it being taken.

"Remember when you were dating her, and you invited her over to meet some of the guys? You introduced her to Felix, who immediately started fawning over her," he seemed to jog Emmett's memory on something I had no clue about, but I thankfully wasn't left in the dark much longer.

"Felix," Emmett stated, his eyes clearing, "The photographer."

And then we all had that movie-moment where we stared right at one another, and a light bulb went off in all of our heads.

"Correct me if I'm wrong… but what you're saying is that Felix either got his hands on a picture of you and Jane kissing from a while ago, or happened to take that picture. And, since most photographers are great with photoshop, he then managed to get a recent photo of you, and copied the tattoo onto the old picture, to make it look like you'd been with Jane recently," I spoke slowly as Edward nodded, looking pleased with himself that he'd maybe connected some dots there, while Emmett looked like the puzzle pieces had just come together for him as well.

"You do realize that all of this is a bit far-fetched, especially with Rosalie who probably has her mind made up that you were with another girl," I knew Rosalie, so I knew that she'd assume Emmett was making the entire thing up.

"_And _why would Felix do something like this for Jane? What's in it for him?" I squinted my eyes.

"You don't understand; she's very persuasive. But, I know what you mean," he shook his head, and it broke my heart a bit to see the hopeful light extinguish from his eyes, "It seems like something out of a movie. So, what do we do?"

My head was bursting with thoughts, a whirlwind of possibilities popping up.

_Felix. Photographer. Photography. New Hampshire. New Hampshire Institute of Art. Student. Angela._

"I'm not entirely sure… but I do have an idea," a small smile worked its way across my lips as both boys turned, eagerly anticipating this so-called plan.

* * *

"Ang, I really, really appreciate this. Really," I repeated, watching as she took off her apron at the end of her shift the next day. It was still the early afternoon, and I'd been lucky to have the rest of the day off along with Emmett. Edward unfortunately had a bit of studying to do, so he couldn't be here to see our big game plan through.

"I wouldn't do this for anyone else," she shook her head, giving me one of her signature sweet smiles, following me out onto the street.

Just as I'd suspected, Felix and Angela were in the same classes, and he'd already put his feelers out for her. She, of course, had shut him down since she was interested in someone else – Edward and me were already on our way to help her get that someone else's attention.

"Felix sure is a total weirdo for doing this," Angela cringed, thinking back to the photoshop theory we'd come up with.

"Well we don't know that he even did this for sure, but I believe Emmett, so if he's not helping Jane, then someone else definitely is," I nodded, as Emmett shouted his thanks from right behind me. I'd almost forgotten he'd tagged along.

"Alright, so all I'm doing is distracting him," Angela reaffirmed, and I smiled.

"Yes, just get him as far away from his computer as possible. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with," I made a severe hand gesture, wanting her to know that I was in no way asking her to let him make a move on her. Simple talking would do just fine.

"Okay, great," she breathed a sigh of relief, fixing her plastic-rimmed glasses before flipping her light brown hair over a shoulder.

"Just for good measure, could you run the plan by me one more time?" Angela bit the inside of her cheek.

Emmett helped her out, "You're going to meet Felix at his apartment to discuss some kind of class assignment. If he locks the door behind him, I know where he hides the spare key, so we'll have no problem sneaking in." Again, I'd blanked on the fact that Emmett was actually good friends with Felix at some point.

"All you have to do is get him as far away from his bedroom as possible. Maybe take him to his office space, and get into some kind of discussion with him, so that he'll only be focused on what you're saying. We'll text you when we're finished and after we sneak back out, so that you can make a quick escape as well."

Angela was a smart girl, so I had a lot of faith that she would pull the role off, if only barely. She absorbed the information like a sponge, nodding.

Of course, Angela had already texted Felix about the assignment, and since they'd worked on a project together before, she knew where his apartment was located. What a wonderful coincidence.

We got to the door of the building before I spoke up, "Just text us when you get settled in and all of that. We'll be right behind you."

"I'm on it," she smiled, getting ready to go up to his floor as Emmett and I lagged behind.

After about five minutes of waiting, Emmett began tiptoeing around, and I gave him a look.

His explanation: "I've always wanted to be a spy," he grinned mischievously, flattening against the wall as he pretended to glance around corners for potential enemies.

"Emmett, you are a child," I shook my head, only making his head whip around to me, and a deep pout form across his lips.

"I mean that in a good way, promise," I pinched his cheeks for good measure, just as the phone in my left pocket buzzed.

After a quick read through, I nodded towards Emmett, "She has his attention. We better head upstairs now."

Luckily, Felix was a very trustworthy guy, apparently, who didn't bother to ever change the position of his spare key. Emmett grabbed hold of it right away after reaching his hand up to the doorframe, and sliding it right off.

"Wait, maybe it's already open," he stopped himself just as he was about to insert the key into the lock.

"Smart thinking," I said, deciding that I should probably try the door, since Emmett wasn't exactly known for being discreet. Once again, I wondered how on earth this plan was going to work when I was basically walking with Big Foot.

I held my breath as I gently twisted the round, metal doorknob, letting the breath out only after easing the door open, peeking to make sure that the pair of them weren't settled in the room before us. I guess they really had gravitated to his workspace.

"What do you know? Felix still forgets to lock his door," Emmett lowered his voice to a whisper after we'd gotten the door open wide enough for the two of us to enter.

We heard the clear sounds of Angela, and a deep voice that I figured belonged to Felix as Emmett led the way down a hall and into a room that was practically a pigsty.

I had to block my nose after coming across one too many dirty socks lying across the carpeted floors, heading straight for the MacBook that was lying right on his wooden desk. The desk was the only area of his room that had been left somewhat tidy.

"Crap," I whispered, after seeing the welcome screen come on, only to reveal a request for Felix's password.

"Try 'password'," Emmett suggested, just as I mustered up the most unamused look I could possibly give him.

"I'm serious," he continued, and I rolled my eyes, turning back to the screen.

Just to humor him, I typed in the word, clicking 'enter', expecting the screen to shake and show me an error message.

Then again, this guy did leave his apartment door unlocked, so why on earth would he use a complicated password? The password, 'password', had actually worked.

I had no hope for humanity.

But in this case, I didn't really care seeing as it had saved us a lot of extra trouble.

It took little to no searching to find Felix's photography files, which, dreadfully, were completely unorganized.

"This is going to take forever," I sighed, after clicking through a few pictures, and only finding reasonable pieces of work for school.

"Go through his messages," Emmett recommended, and I almost slapped myself that I hadn't thought of _that_.

After going onto the Messages app, and entering a search for the name 'Jane', I scrolled to the top, working my way down the line to see the kind of conversations the two shared. What I found scarred me for life.

"Why did I open that…?" I felt to throw up, not even able to close my eyes since I kept seeing naked pictures flash through my mind. Why do people send nudes? _Why_?

Emmett was having an extremely difficult time reigning in his raucous laughter at my obvious discomfort.

Thankfully, it didn't take much more searching since Felix's last message was simply: _Check your e-mail_.

I prayed to God almighty that they weren't more naked pictures, as we clicked our way over to the Mail app, finding that Felix had recently e-mailed Jane a file entitled 'E.M.'

"Your initials?" my jaw hung open a bit as I opened the message, just as Emmett whispered: "I can't believe it. He actually did all of this."

In it, contained Jane's appeal that Felix 'fix' an old picture of herself and Emmett to make it look new. The conversation went back-and-forth, and most of it involved Jane convincing Felix to help her out and keep his mouth shut about the whole thing (more pictures I did _not_ want to see popped up around here). Her whole excuse was that this was purely to get back at Emmett for threatening her with a restraining order. After all of this, she promised Felix that she'd be all his. _Yeah, right_.

"We better e-mail these to Rosalie," he advised, as I nodded.

"Yeah, especially since we'd be sending them from Felix's e-mail account, so that it'd seem like he came forth with all of this information willingly. I doubt Rosalie would very much approve of all of the sleuthing we did," I explained, as he nodded, seeming to take my words seriously.

We did exactly that, making sure to exit everything, and delete all evidence that we'd sent the e-mail, before closing the laptop down, and making a move to head down the hallway.

I practically rammed right into Emmett, who had frozen at the bend to get to the door, looking over to see that Felix and Angela had moved from his office space over to the couch in the living room – right opposite the front door.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Felix soon stood up from his seat, even after Angela had tried to stall, raising her voice to at least give us a hint as to what was happening: "Are you _sure_ you want to go to the _bathroom_?"

"I really need to take a leak, but I'll be back," then, in an attempt to be seductive, he lowered his voice, "Don't go anywhere."

I could practically see the revulsion in Angela's eyes, before I realized that the bathroom she was referring to was inside the bedroom, down the hallway Emmett and me were currently hiding in.

We had to make a run for it back into Felix's room, diving under the bed just for good measure. I was practically gagging at the mix of dust and gross underwear, hearing and seeing the door open. It wasn't long before we heard the sound of the sink, and the uncomfortable gargling of mouthwash in Felix's mouth.

Emmett wiggled his eyebrows at me from under the bed, and I could only shake my head, as we heard the lights switch off in the bathroom.

I sent Angela a text:

_Hey Ang, we're planning on leaving now. Could you make sure Felix keeps his eyes on you and not the door?_

I heard the text message alert, and her soft "Excuse me" as she probably read the text, clearing her throat.

I waved Emmett out from under the bed, crawling out after him, as we made our way down the hallway, making sure we were moving as quiet as mice, peeping around the corner.

"You know Felix, I really do love being around you. You're just so… _interesting_, and handsome," Angela hesitated to place her hand on his shoulder as he practically swooned.

God bless her.

I saw her eyes flicker to us, and in a last resort, she reached over, grabbing his face in her hands, and we took that as our opportunity to leave.

I managed to shut the door just in time to hear Angela make an excuse: "Well, this was fun. We should do this again some time." I guessed she wasn't going to be too far behind us.

Both Emmett and I visibly relaxed once exiting the building.

"So, you'll be good from here?" I questioned, seeing Emmett's cheeky grin appear on his face as he wrapped me in his signature bear hug.

"Thank you so much, Bella. And well, I guess, thanks to Edward for thinking of Felix. I just hope she hears me out," he took a deep breath, as I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Honestly, I think she's still extremely pissed off, but if you're very insistent on it, she'll let you talk. Really, she does want to hear your side of the story. Picture or no picture, she knows you longer than she knew Jane."

"I mean, I know the picture looked extremely authentic, but it still hurts that she didn't even for a second doubt it. I guess I have a lot more work to do in the trust area of our relationship," Emmett sighed, and I gave a small smile.

Emmett gave me one last hug, "But hey, I guess you can head over to mine and Edward's place in the meantime. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

My cheeks heated up, as I laughed a bit, "It hadn't crossed my mind, truthfully."

In reality, it was all I'd been thinking about. The day had been stressful from start to finish, and some alone time with my boyfriend was much needed.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this one! I feel like a lot of you weren't expecting this to be the reasoning. I found the chapter to be quite light. But don't worry, Emmett and Rosalie won't exactly be going back to normal rightaway, as Emmett hinted with the trust thing. **

**Fun fact: my sister was rewatching Twilight while I was writing this up, and I honestly wanted to cry when she twisted her computer so that I saw Edward in the biology scene. GUYS. I MISS IT SO MUCH. I can't even watch the movies anymore because I get too depressed that it's over (am I the only one?)**

**And I just reeeeally wanted to apologize for the really slow updates. First I was busy with school, and then I was busy with my family, and in about 3 weeks, I'll have exams *sigh* I'm just really sorry, because I know what it feels like to be on the other side of this. I hope I'm not frustrating you guys too much. **

**I'm trying my best :) thank you guys for being so understanding!**

**But enough of my rambling, please drop me a review giving me some feedback on the chapter and all that!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thank you for the follows &amp; favourites!**

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* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Emmett 

One knock at the door, and I heard the shuffling of footsteps before the twisting of the metal doorknob came. A blotchy face greeted me, something I had never before associated with Rosalie Hale, but something I was certainly never going to forget. Before I could stop myself, I was tugging her into a hug, feeling her stiffen for a few seconds, before going somewhat limp in my arms.

"All I want is to hear it from you, Emmett. That's all I want," I'd never encountered a defeated Rosalie before, not before we'd begun dating, and certainly not during.

I had assumed that her tough exterior was more than just a front, but it seemed that Jane had successfully crumbled that to bits, and I wanted nothing more than to strangle her for making Rosalie suffer the way she was.

"You won't believe me, and it kills me that you won't believe me over her. But I know it's difficult to trust me when there's seemingly strong evidence being shoved in your face," I sighed, brushing a few strands of blonde hair away from her face as her eyebrows crinkled.

"What are you trying to say?" now, she gave me a sharp look, and even though looks could kill in her case, I was somewhat glad to have the fierce girl back. The same one I'd fallen in love with.

"I want to know one thing, before we get into this. I want to know if you would've believed Jane even without the picture," I needed to know whether or not this was something deep-rooted that we needed to work on. Did she think of me as a womanizer? I'd skipped from girl to girl before I'd met her, never settling, and now, that had come to bite me right in the behind.

Did she really think of herself as just another conquest to me? Something unimportant in my life?

Because if she did, I was going to have to do some serious work in order to rectify all of this.

I wanted us to go back to where we were, but strange as it was, I was also happy that Jane had pulled this stunt on me - I wanted Rosalie and me to be stronger than ever before, and dealing with this, I felt, could quite possible achieve just that.

"Why are you asking me this?" she was getting frustrated that I seemed to be avoiding the bigger picture, but to me, this _was_ the bigger picture.

"Please, just answer the question. Would you have believed her?" I begged her to listen and respond truthfully. It was a lot to ask for, given the circumstances, but it was what I needed to hear.

"I don't know, Emmett," she passed a hand over her face, and we continued to stand in the doorway, "No, I wouldn't have. I didn't believe her until she showed me that picture. You know why? Because I trusted you. I actually trusted you; trusted that you wouldn't do something like this. I thought your feelings for me were real," Rosalie laughed without humor, avoiding eye contact with me, and it felt like sharp knives stabbing into my stomach.

But I shoved those feelings down, focusing only on the fact that she had told me what I needed to hear, what I wanted to hear. And I felt… relieved. I was glad that she had put her trust in me, because I had put my trust in her as well. After meeting her, I'd pretty much forgotten about every other girl I'd ever been with, and thought, _This is it._ I didn't want anyone else – I only wanted her.

I was glad that she had known that before, even though Jane had just potentially erased all of that trust.

But I was hoping that with Felix's e-mail - giving her all of the proof that Jane was just a meddling ex - and with my own efforts to make her feel secure in this relationship, she would slowly but surely come back to me.

I had faith in us, and I was praying that she did, too.

"Check your e-mail," was my simple request, and once again, I was met with confusion.

It took a few minutes, but eventually, we both walked into her shared apartment with Bella, going straight to Rosalie's bedroom, where her laptop sat atop her bed sheets.

"What's this about?" the frustration was evident in her voice, that I seemed to once again be sidestepping the issue here.

It took a few clicks before she opened up the page, and I directed her to read the forwarded message from Felix, and after a few lines, she froze.

In between her reading, I began to explain my connection to Jane, stating that we _had_ been involved for some time, but it had never gotten serious after I'd found out that she was a stalker. She'd kept her distance until finding out that I'd moved onto someone else, and that someone else was Rosalie.

The picture that she had seen was technically real - seeing as it _had_ been taken - but that had been months ago. It wasn't recent, and Jane had roped Felix in to make the picture seem new. With a bit of magic – A.K.A. Photoshop – they had achieved their goal.

A deep sigh escaped Rosalie's lips before a question emerged, "How did… I mean, why did he send this to me? Did you get him to send it, or something?"

"Well, I knew the picture was fake, for obvious reasons, but it took a little work to find out who was behind all of it. But I had Bella and Edward helping me out a little, on the way. It was difficult to get both of them to believe me, but eventually, with their help, we began putting the pieces together. And then I went over to Felix's apartment and had my ways of getting the information sent to you."

I didn't want to full-on lie to Rosalie by telling her I'd spoken to Felix and he'd willingly sent the conversations to her. But, at the same time, I had taken heed of Bella's advice that Rosalie would probably be even more suspicious if she found out that we'd snuck into his apartment and sent the e-mails ourselves.

What was important was that she finally had the truth in her hands.

She bit the inside of her cheek, at a loss for words – another thing I'd never had the opportunity to see with Rose.

"I'm sorry," I said, making her head snap up.

"_You're _sorry? For what?" she shook her head.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I'm sorry Jane has some serious revenge issues."

A laugh. It was good to hear Rosalie's laugh again.

"I should be the one that's sorry. I _am_ sorry," she corrected herself, breathing deeply, "I didn't want to believe it, but it seemed so… _authentic_."

She was already beating herself up, and I didn't want to see it, so I shook my head.

"I understand. I'm not angry with you," we had shut the laptop and I pulled her close to me, feeling her relax against me.

"I'm just glad that you know that I'd never deliberately do anything to hurt you," at that, I leaned down, seeing the corners of her lips upturn.

"Because I love you," the words flew out of my mouth, and Rosalie's eyes fixed on me, holding me in their regard, studying me.

Then, her left hand brushed along my cheek, as she leaned closer, firmly pressing her lips to mine.

Sometimes actions speak louder than words.

* * *

Edward

"I can't believe you're leaving, man," Emmett pretended to wipe an imaginary tear away from his face as I rolled my eyes, zipping up the suitcase and pulling it upright.

"I'll only be gone for a week. I trust that you won't burn down the apartment during that time," I frowned, generating Emmett's signature booming laugh.

Bella had spent the night at my place, bringing her luggage across so that we'd be able to go straight to the airport together. She was just about finished getting ready though - just making sure she had the necessities for the flight.

I hadn't fully registered as yet that I was going to be meeting her parents – well, her mom – in just a few hours. I was generally quite a calm and collected person, but this was a really big deal, to be meeting my girlfriend's parents. I wanted to make sure I made a good impression on them both, but especially her father since he was already wary of me. I was thankful I'd have a few days of preparation for that meeting, though.

It was slowly approaching seven o'clock on Sunday morning, and we were getting ready to leave for our nine o'clock takeoff to Jacksonville, Florida.

"Alright, I'm ready," my head whipped around at the sound, noting Bella, dressed simply but exquisitely in a grey, flowy long-sleeved top and a pair of black skinny jeans with matching ballet flats.

She was tugging on a navy blue – almost black - suitcase, but her eyes were averted to her phone, typing away and responding to a few text messages.

"Alice and Rosalie keep sending me 'I miss you' texts. I haven't even left the country as yet," Bella looked beside herself with shock as a light chuckle escaped my lips, and an immediate smile formed on hers in response.

"Yeah, I know what that's like," Emmett grinned as Bella slipped her phone into her handbag, looking up at me and giving a small smile, before turning to our dear friend.

"Oh yeah, I meant to ask. How have things been going with the two of you?" she absentmindedly rested her hands on the handle of her luggage, leaning forward to hear Emmett's response.

"Better than ever," he smiled softly, which was a rarity in itself for someone as exuberant as Emmett. He didn't generally have a lot of quiet, reflective moments.

"I mean… we're still easing our way back into things. It's only been three days since I told her everything. But we've been talking a lot, and I know that we need to spend some more time together, because that's the only way that we'll be able to fully trust each other. The last thing I want is for a repeat of this to happen," he shook his head, and I shook mine as well, marveling at how mature Emmett could be when the situation called for it.

"But I guess we'll have a lot of alone time now, with you two lovebirds going on your adventures," he sent a wink our way.

_And he was back to normal. _

* * *

After Emmett had dropped us off to the airport, making sure we'd gotten our tickets and everything sorted, Bella and I made our way through the annoying airport security before heading to the gate.

We hadn't had a particularly filling breakfast – at least not one that would sustain us for very long – so we decided to take a walk around to look for some food ideas.

"Edward!" I heard a voice from behind call, accompanied by a tap on the shoulder. Both Bella and I twisted around to the voice, and though I recognized the girl's face, I couldn't recall where I knew her from, and – more embarrassingly – I couldn't remember her name.

I tried not to let my struggle show, but Bella seemed to notice right away what was going on.

"Oh, hey…" I kind of left the sentence hanging awkwardly as the girl's face fell.

"Kate," she prompted, but I was still coming up blank, "I'm in your class. We, um, worked on a project together," _now_ the puzzle pieces came together, and my face cleared, as I nodded, smiling. I noticed that Bella looked like she wanted to do a facepalm at my blunder, but I also didn't miss the hint of relief on her face. Maybe she'd been expecting this girl to be a former date that Emmett had set me up with. Now _that_ would've been awkward.

"Right. Kate. I'm sorry about that," I really did feel awful about forgetting something as simple as her name, but I really wasn't much of a people person, which most tended to understand.

Thankfully, she seemed to have recovered from my mishap, only then noticing Bella who had flashed her a small smile in greeting.

"Oh… is this your girlfriend?" Kate wondered aloud, though something looked off about her overly cheery smile.

Bella graciously outstretched her hand, "Bella," before continuing, "It's lovely to meet you, Kate."

Sensing that Bella was clearly not someone to be afraid of, she seemed to let her guard down, "Nice to meet you, too. Where are you guys off to?"

I answered for us both, "Florida," looking over at Bella as she smiled before biting her lip and looking back towards my classmate. I still had to take a moment to collect myself every time she bit her lip subconsciously. No matter how many times she did it, it still generated the same speechless reaction out of me every time.

"What about you?" Bella asked Kate about her travel plans, finding out that she was about to visit some family in Ohio, and was actually boarding her flight very soon.

"Enjoy your trip," she said pleasantly, giving a slightly uncomfortable wave to the two of us before departing.

She'd pretty much caught us at a great time in terms of our location, since we spotted a T.G.I.F. after rounding the next corner.

It took less than a minute for us to get seated, and once we had a bit of time to flicker through the menu, Bella shook her head, "Poor girl."

_Did I just miss something?_

I subtly took a look around the restaurant, before cocking an eyebrow towards my girlfriend.

She leaned forward with squinted eyes, "Did you seriously not grasp any of that?" She looked a mixture of baffled and amused, and I could only give a confused shrug as to what on earth she was referring to.

"Edward," Bella blinked, letting out a light laugh, which only made me crack a smile.

"I'm talking about Kate," Bella spoke slowly, before realizing that I still apparently wasn't catching on.

"She likes you," she finally stated, before taking a sip of her water, as I let out a laugh.

"No, she doesn't."

"Edward, she looked like you had _shot_ her when you failed to remember her name," Bella looked beyond herself with shock that I hadn't picked up on this.

"I mean… she looked disappointed. I would be, too. But it wasn't _that_ extreme," I gave her a look as her exasperation only increased.

"When she asked if I was your girlfriend… that was pretty painful to watch. How did you not see any of that?" Bella shook her head, laughing a little at my obliviousness.

To be honest, I didn't really read into things I didn't particularly care about. No offense to Kate – she was a nice girl. But past civil conversation, I had no interest in building any kind of friendship with her.

"Because she doesn't fascinate me," I summarized simply as the waitress bounded over to take our order. Luckily, we'd both skimmed over the menu before she'd started this conversation, so both of us had a general idea of what we wanted.

After the waitress had departed, Bella's eyes remained fixed on mine, looking as if she were trying to figure out some great puzzle.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, wanting nothing more than to know what was going through that intricate mind of hers. Her brown eyes looked a mixture of surprised and unsure, and I wanted to know why.

She broke our small staring contest, looking down briefly, "I fascinate you?" If she'd spoken even a decibel lower, I probably wouldn't have caught her words. But I was pretty certain I'd heard her correctly.

I had a hard time controlling my grin, just deciding to let it take form as I answered clearly, "Every single day, Bella."

"Your looks captivated me in the beginning, but your personality kept me planted right here. I don't think you'll ever understand it. I just… want to be around you all the time. And since I can't exactly do that, I settle for most of it," my lips twitched as Bella's eyes flickered to mine, her body calming as she exhaled.

"If we weren't in a restaurant right now, I'd kiss you senseless," she leaned towards me, and I wanted nothing more than for our surroundings to dissolve so that she could do just that.

"_Please, _hold onto that thought," was my response, as a giggle made its way out of Bella's mouth.

* * *

The two-hour flight hadn't been anything to talk about. The flight attendants were relatively helpful if either of us needed anything to make us comfortable, so before we knew it, the plane was landing, and we were right at baggage claim.

"Bella! Honey!" I heard a scream, as we both jumped at the high-pitched voice, spinning around to see a woman with a similar shade of hair and the same kind of bone structure to Bella. Aside from that, though, they didn't look much alike.

"Hi, mom," Bella smiled, meeting her mother in a hug, before pulling away to introduce me.

But apparently, she didn't need to.

"Oh, and you must be Edward," her mother lifted her eyebrows from me to Bella, "I've heard _lots_ about you."

Bella looked nothing short of mortified at her comment, as I could only laugh, feeling content with the fact that I talked about her as much as she spoke about me. I still felt like I had a bit of an edge on her, though. My parents pretty much felt like they knew Bella personally.

I stretched out a hand for her mother to take, but she completely disregarded that and went in straight for a hug.

I muttered a simple, "Oh," of surprise, but all the same, I patted her back as Bella looked over at me, mouthing, "I'm so sorry."

When her mother pulled away, she smiled, "Oh, and I'm Renée. This is my husband, Phil."

She introduced the stocky man with sandy-coloured hair, who had just come to stand beside her. He took my hand, giving it a strong shake, before moving across to Bella, giving her a hug in greeting, "Hey, how are you, kid?"

It was pretty ironic that he was calling her 'kid', when he appeared to only be a couple of years older than us – around thirty, maybe.

After ordering her husband to help us with our bags – which really, weren't that many – Renée led us outside to a van fit for carrying seven people, plus luggage.

"Welcome to Jacksonville!" she threw her hands up into the air enthusiastically, and I had a very strong feeling that she would very much connect with Alice when they met – if they hadn't already.

Phil got behind the wheel, and soon enough, both him and Renée went back and forth between asking about my plans for the future, and telling me more about themselves.

I gained the understanding that Phil was a really well off guy, having come from a family of successful business owners. He told me about his time as a baseball player, and how unfortunately, as he was on the verge of getting into the major league, he'd gotten a leg injury that has prevented him from playing professionally ever since. Baseball was his dream, but he's been content with spending his time trying to build his own company.

"Here we are," he said, as we pulled up to the driveway of a grand-looking, three-story beach house, unloading the van as we got out of the car to admire the view.

As if reading my mind, Bella nodded to the sandy shore, "Yeah, they pretty much have their own private beach here. We can check it out later, if you want."

"That'd be nice," I smiled, as Phil piled both mine and Bella's suitcases inside, taking them upstairs before I even got the chance to offer my help. Bella took my hand in hers, leading us inside through the foyer, following her mother's voice.

"Are you guys hungry?" Renée called out from the kitchen, as Bella and I turned to each other before shaking our heads simultaneously, "No, we're alright, thanks."

"Alright, well, Phil and I are going out to meet with some prospective business partners. If you need to go anywhere, there's an extra car in the garage. Keys are over here," she indicated to a key holder next to the fridge as both Bella and I nodded.

"You two have fun. We'll be back in time for dinner," she gave both of us a kiss on the cheek, and I was relatively surprised at how easily she'd warmed up to me. I'd honestly expected more time for her to get to know me. Yet here she was, leaving her daughter and me alone in the same house. But then again, from Bella's description of her mother, I hadn't really expected a drill sergeant. (Her father was an entirely different story, however.)

Phil waved goodbye to the two of us before exiting out the front door after Renée, and Bella took the opportunity to spin towards me, nodding at the stairs, "Do you want to change?"

* * *

Five minutes later and I was waiting at the bottom of the steps, dressed in a pair of black swim trunks and a plain white t-shirt.

Moments later, I heard footsteps pattering down the staircase, and my eyes drew up towards Bella, who had donned a white cover-up, under which I assumed she wore a swimsuit. She had slung two towels over her arms as well as some spray-on sunblock as she made her way over to the back of the house.

The door leading to the patio was pretty much made of glass, except for the wooden borders around the edges. It presented a perfect view of the white sand and turquoise waters, which looked incredibly refreshing to dive into, given the current weather. Although it was only about seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, the blazing sun above us made it feel at least ten degrees hotter. And compared to New Hampshire's weather forecast for today, we were practically in the desert.

Of course, all of this wondering about the weather as I settled down on a lounge chair had made me completely turn away from Bella as she'd shed herself of the cover-up. It was only as I'd turned towards the sea that I'd seen her applying an extra coat of sunscreen to her arms, and my eyes widened as I caught a full view of her body.

I tried to keep my breathing under control but seeing her wearing nothing but a midnight blue bikini – which, mind you, was a wonderful contrast against her pale skin – had me forcing a lot of unclean thoughts out of my mind. I closed my eyes, shaking my head to clear them, as I heard a light giggle from right in front of me.

"Are you alright?" I could hear the laughter in her voice, but my eyes were still averted, so all I caught sight of was her incredibly soft-looking legs, leading up to her bikini bottom, her flat stomach…

_Mind out of the gutter, Cullen. Your mother raised you better than this. _

"Perfectly fine. Just, the sun. In my eyes," I finished lamely, my cheeks heating up as she giggled one last time, "Okay, then."

I mean, sure, I'd gotten a pretty good idea of what her body looked like, but I'd never actually _seen_ her like this until now.

Oh God, I was pathetic.

"Want some?" Bella asked, and my eyes widened, not really thinking about the situation properly.

"Want some what?" I choked out, as she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, holding in a laugh.

"Sunscreen," she laughed, waving the tube she'd been holding in her hand, which I'd failed to take notice of.

"Oh," I looked down, scratching the back of my neck as I stood up. I grabbed hold of the neck of my t-shirt and smoothly slipped it off, reaching to take the bottle from her hand.

Only then did I realize that she had frozen in place, and when my eyes looked over at hers, I noticed that those brown orbs were currently glued to my chest, moving down my abdomen.

"Enjoying the show?" I chuckled, feeling a whole lot better about being a blubbering mess around her now that she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of me either.

"Uh huh," she sighed, and I burst out laughing as she finally blinked out of the daze, and her signature flaming cheeks made an appearance.

"Are you going to go in?" I gestured to the small waves crashing down to shore, as she bit the inside of her cheek, watching as I finished applying the sunblock onto myself.

"I might just lounge here for a little while," she admitted, as my eyes narrowed.

"Hmm," I mumbled, "I don't think so," and before she could even begin to open her mouth to question me, I had grasped her small waist, lifting her into the air and throwing her onto my shoulder.

"Seriously?" she couldn't contain her laughter, and in turn, I couldn't hide my crooked grin.

I kept hold of her legs, as she tried – and failed – to wiggle out of my grasp. I jogged closer to the beach's edge, feeling the water as it reached me ankle-high. I waded further in until Bella started knocking her fists against my back, "Edward, if you throw me in…"

Oh, Bella.

Just I pulled her down, hearing her scream as her body splashed into the water, I looked on with nothing but laughter at her adorably annoyed expression.

"Alright, you win. Now, help me up," she reached her hand out towards me, and I only shook my head at her.

"I'm not falling for that one."

She would just pull me in right after her – it was so obvious.

"Fine," she huffed, seeming to give up on my help, getting on her knees. But then, without having time to react, I saw her fully reaching for my arm and tugging me with a force I hadn't expected from such a small body.

I lost my balance just as another wave came crashing in, and I heard Bella's giggles fill the air as my body hit the water with a great splash. I shook my wet hair onto her as she attempted to shield her face, still laughing along with me.

And I don't know. It was the combination of how naturally happy she was, that magnificent smile on her face as her eyes twinkled with that same joy that caused me to lean over her and pressed our wet lips together. I felt the water continue to drift all around us, but all the same, I ignored it, savoring this moment between us.

I felt one of her hands reach up towards my neck as another wave splashed against our faces, making us both smile as I trailed my fingers down her torso, feeling her skin beneath my fingertips as her lips moved apart, allowing me entrance into her mouth.

Our lips continued to move eagerly against each other, our bodies molding together until I felt like I was going past my limit with her.

I pulled away, trying to regain my composure, as she looked equally red in the face, still holding onto me.

"What's on your mind?" her hand slipped from my neck to my cheek, as my eyes focused on hers, simply unable to contain my awe at how easily she was able to identify when something was wrong.

"I'm worried that one day, I'm not going to have enough control to pull back. I just want you tell me when I'm moving too fast," I looked down at her imploringly, as she stared right back.

"You're _not_ moving too fast. But I promise I'll let you know if you ever do," and with that, she pulled me in for another kiss, much more chaste compared to our last one.

After a couple of minutes of silence, we slowly began to get up from our positions, and Bella began combing through her mahogany locks, "I have a feeling I'm going to have sand in my hair for days."

I laughed, looking at the grainy particles in her hair, feeling a bit of triumph that that was my doing, and agreeing with her, "Probably."

She promptly shot me a dirty look, which I responded to by cheekily pulling her to my side and planting a kiss on top of her head.

The smile never left my face.

* * *

**A/N: How did you guys like this one? This is pretty much part 1 of their entire vacation, so I hope you enjoy the rest!**

**I'll probably update this weekend, but I can't make any promises for the weekend after that because my exams start on the 22****nd****. And yeah, I need to get cracking on that… **

**Anyway! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter – please leave me your thoughts on it in the form of a review. Thank you!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: So I didn't really **_**love**_** the last chapter, but I didn't expect to since I didn't have that many ideas for Bella and Edward's trip to Florida aside from the beach. **

**And, I've pretty much saved all of my energy/effort for this chapter. So I hope you guys like it!**

**Thank you for reviewing: **_**sujari6, Monyetta, twilightView, WhiteWolfRosepetals, IsAbElA M CuLlEn, katelyndc, TwilightAddict7, michael . vandebroek, TwilighterSam1989, misstresswillow, jansails, cbmorefie, twiannfav, Em2017, **_**and **_**Bugsmamawolf**_**. **

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 19

Bella 

I was pleased that we'd decided to visit Renée before Charlie - the calm before the storm. At least now, Edward's self-confidence would be built up enough for a meeting that I was anticipating to be incredibly intimidating.

And I was not wrong.

Charlie had gotten one of his police officer buddies to pick us up from the airport in Port Angeles at four o'clock on Tuesday evening. John, the officer, had swiftly filled the one-hour drive to Forks with awkward conversation. Mind you, the drive with Charlie probably wouldn't have been any less weird, but still.

The excuse we'd been provided with for my father's absence was that he was busy finishing up a case at the station, but that he'd be home in time to meet the two of us. Already, I was feeling his _wholehearted_ support on my relationship with Edward (note heavy sarcasm).

"Thanks, John," I smiled as he helped Edward and I unload our suitcases into the quaint, off-white, two-story home.

"See you, Bella," he waved, before turning and nodding towards Edward, a small smile etched on his face.

As soon as we crossed the threshold, I turned. "Alright, so I have a feeling that my dad is going to pull some kind of stunt on us, so if something ridiculous happens, don't take it too seriously," I moved closer to Edward, who had a soft smile on his face.

"It's cute when you worry about me," he planted a sweet kiss on my lips, and I sighed against them, before pulling away shortly thereafter.

"I'm serious," I looked down, placing my hand onto his coat lapel. "I just don't want you to freak out and run away."

I bit my lip, as Edward's hand came under my chin, and he immediately sobered up.

"Is that what you think? That I'm just gonna run away at the first sign of danger? You mean more to me than that, Bella. I mean, I care what your dad thinks of me, but not to point where I'd leave if he didn't like me," his eyebrows furrowed, and he maintained eye contact to make sure that every word resonated inside of me.

I let out a breath; I knew Edward, and I knew he wasn't the kind of person who got scared easily, but sometimes, it's good to hear it straight from the source. I needed to know for sure that this meeting wouldn't be a huge block in the road for us.

"Okay," I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck, "Thank you." I reached up and just as I was about to plant my lips onto his, we both heard the crunch of gravel against car tires, giving me sufficient time to disentangle myself from Edward, who stepped to the side, keeping us a safe distance apart.

In came Charlie, still dressed from head-to-toe in his uniform, immediately focusing his deep dark brown eyes on Edward.

"So this is Edwin?" he questioned, as my eyes narrowed, and Edward pursed his lips, looking amused at the fact that my father already blatantly appeared to dislike him. I admired Edward's graciousness - if the roles were reversed, I would've been nothing short of offended.

"Dad, his name is Edward. And you know that," I gave him a pointed look as he shrugged.

"I'm getting old, what can I say?" he laughed a short laugh as he hung his gun belt behind the door, _very_ slowly. I didn't miss Charlie's not-so-subtle glance over at Edward to see how he was reacting to that fact that he had a gun, which he could use.

Thankfully, Edward seemed unfazed, stretching out his hand after Charlie had finished hanging up his jacket, "Edward Cullen. It's good to meet you, sir."

Charlie eyed his outstretched hand suspiciously, before taking it, and gripping it firmly, with much more force than was necessary – I could tell from Edward's clenched jaw.

Oh, dad.

Finally, my father turned towards me, smiling as he greeted me with one of his infamous awkward hugs, which was increasingly uncomfortable since I was just as awkward at receiving hugs. "I'm happy you're here, Bells."

"Thanks, dad. I'm glad to be here," I smiled, patting his back as we broke apart, and he gave a short reminiscent smile – probably thinking back to the days when I'd lived here, and we'd see each other every day.

He cleared his throat, "Why don't we all catch up in the living room?"

* * *

After grabbing a cold beer from the fridge, he took two small sips of it before looking Edward and me over.

We were sitting close together - but not quite touching - on the couch opposite Charlie's armchair.

"So you're dating my daughter," well, he didn't beat around the bushes, did he?

"Yes, sir. I am," Edward looked across at me as I gave him an encouraging smile, turning back to face my father, who'd been looking on at the interaction between us with mild interest.

"What do you do for a living?" my father began his interrogation – I was sure that that was what this was. I'd provided my father with all of this information already, but I guessed that he was double-checking, making sure that both of our stories matched.

"Well, I'm currently in my final year of medical school, but after that, I plan on specializing in cardiology," I could tell that my father was impressed, even though he hid it extremely well behind his poker face. Years of watching him pull that face at work had taught me to see right through it.

"And where does Bella fit into this master plan?" Charlie forged on, as I gave him a wide-eyed look, exhaling, "_Dad_."

Again, I knew that Edward wasn't one of those people who grew pale at the prospect of thinking about their future with someone, but _still_. There is a lot of pressure there. It was already an explosive question, but having my father ask it was basically double trouble.

"What? I don't know him. I don't know what kind of person he is. I want to make sure he's not leading you on," Charlie explained, as I placed my face into my hands, feeling Edward freeze from beside me. _Now_ he was offended.

"I assure you that I'm not leading her on," I smiled against my hands, hearing the slight tinge of indignation in his voice at my father's subtle accusation.

Then, more calmly, "I want Bella to be in my life for a very long time, and I get the feeling that she feels the same way," I felt Edward's eyes on me, and I glanced over at him, only to feel the rising blush in my cheeks as his words sunk in.

"And you feel this way about my daughter after three weeks of dating her?" Charlie said monotonously, giving us a look that read that he was not buying any of this. Which was ridiculous seeing as there wasn't anything to buy. I felt like a teenager bringing my prom date home, having my father frown upon our so-called feelings for each other.

"If you'd told me two months ago that I'd feel the way I do now, I wouldn't have believed it either, but I wouldn't lie about something like this. I care about your daughter very much," it was amazing how the words could sound so strong when said in the right tone of voice. I almost got chills.

Charlie went silent for a moment, before simply giving a nod of acknowledgment that he respected Edward's words.

"How did you two meet?" he was not even near finished, apparently. Before Edward could even open his mouth to answer, I was speaking for him.

"We met through a mutual friend. Jasper," technically, that was the truth. We had met in person on Jasper's birthday; but really, we'd been talking since before that - when I'd accidentally sent that Bridesmaids message to him. But… Charlie didn't need to know that. He would've _more_ than narrowed his eyes at the two of us if I'd mentioned the fact that we'd gotten to know each other via text.

"I'm in class with him," Edward backed me up, catching on instantly, as Charlie made a 'Hmm' sound, slowly nodding.

"Alice's boyfriend, Jasper?" my father had heard countless stories about my close friend, and had even had the pleasure of conversing with her a few times whenever she'd answered the phone for me. It was pretty obvious that she'd charmed his socks off. The only reason Charlie's visits to see me had slowed down so much was because of the trust that he had eventually put in Alice and Rosalie to take care of me.

"That's the one," I nodded, giving a small smile as Edward took a deep breath, letting it out.

He was obviously feeling wound-up with all of these questions being fired at him, and I wanted nothing more than to reach across and take his hand in mine, but it'd be a while before I'd be able to do that in front of my overprotective father. Even with Jacob, there had been a fine line – which, in that case, I had been more than okay with.

"I'm not saying I approve of you, because I still don't know enough about you. But after the background check, and these questions, I think you're safe enough to be around my daughter, and stay in my house. But, _obviously_, you two will be staying in separate rooms. Obviously," he raised his eyebrows towards the end, but both Edward and I were still recovering from the fact that he'd so casually mentioned the fact that he'd performed a background check on my boyfriend.

"You did _what_?" I leaned onto my elbows, as Edward remained silent, and Charlie shot me a look filled with guilt and discomfort, apparently having forgotten that he wasn't supposed to mention this information to us.

"Bella, I had to make sure the guy was clean. How do you think it'd look if I just let you go off with some stranger and he ends up being a serial killer? Or a druglord?" the image of Edward being either of those things was laughable, and Charlie would know that if he bothered to listen to what I had to say about Edward – or better yet, get to know Edward properly.

I was about to open my mouth to tell him off for not trusting me to at least know when my boyfriend was safe, when Edward's hand rested on mine.

"It's alright. I would've done the same thing if I were in his position," it was a combination of his hand on mine, and the soothing tone that he'd adopted that caused me to release some of my annoyance in the form of a deep breath.

It wasn't so much the fact that Charlie had performed a background check, it was the fact that he had indirectly indicated that he didn't trust that I could find someone I knew was secure.

But I couldn't very well start off my stay in Forks with me being angry at my father, so I let this one slide – mainly because Edward seemed to be alright with it.

"Fine. But can we continue this conversation later? We've had a long day, and a nap is sounding really great," I spoke up, making a move to stand up, as Edward followed.

"And don't worry, I'll set him up in the guest bedroom," there wasn't a hint of rudeness in my tone. I actually had spoken rather colorlessly, but Charlie still seemed very appreciative of the fact that I hadn't disregarded his previous plea.

We'd already began walking up the creaking wooden staircase, when I heard Charlie absentmindedly call out, "Just be ready for eight o'clock. We're having dinner."

If this so-called dinner was just a small meal between the three of us, there was no way Charlie would have advised me to clean up beforehand.

"With who?" I halted on the staircase, turning slowly. Edward remained still, watching my every move, just seeming to be waiting for something to go wrong.

"Oh, you know. Billy… Sue," I could picture Charlie shrugging, before taking a long pause, "And their children."

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to relax.

"You invited _Jacob_ to dinner?" my voice sounded unnaturally high-pitched, and it didn't go unnoticed by Edward, who immediately drew closer to me, rubbing his hands up and down my forearms slowly. I don't think he'd ever seen me this pissed-off.

"Is that a problem?" Charlie carried on, as if inviting my ex-boyfriend to dinner with my current boyfriend was completely in the norm.

I didn't bless him with a response, simply carrying Edward with me up to my room, where I shut the door and soon began pacing.

"See, this? _This_ is exactly what I was talking about with him pulling a fast one on us. Is he insane?" I shook my head, changing direction, but all the same, continuing to speedwalk along the length of my room, as Edward leaned against the wall, watching me patiently.

"You know, what? No. I'm not going to freak out. Why do I need to freak out? Nothing is going to happen, because Jacob would definitely not make a scene while he's with my father. There's no way," I took a deep breath, as the corners of Edward's lips turned upwards.

"Are you alright?" Edward began to walk towards me, slowly slipping his hands around my waist, as I breathed out.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks for letting me vent," I glanced down at the little space he'd left between our bodies before letting my eyes wander to his emerald green ones.

Edward chuckled, "You vented for less than a minute. But anyway, what are boyfriends for?"

Then, to ensure I had calmed down sufficiently, Edward reached down, capturing my lips with his as I shifted my hands so that instead of limply hanging at my side, they now had the purpose of finding their way into his hair.

Our lips moved frantically against one another, and I could actually feel Edward releasing the tension he'd just felt during that encounter with my Dad.

His hands hugged me closer to him, as small sighs continued to escape my lips. Even when he'd pulled away, he leaned down further so that his lips could roam freely down my neck.

I could feel the heat rush to all of the places his lips touched, and only when I felt like I was on the verge of doing something incredibly embarrassing – for example, moaning – did I grab hold of his shirt, gently pushing his chest and giving the signal that he should stop.

There was also another major reason I had pulled back, so before Edward could once again feel guilty about going too far – which he hadn't – I focused on his eyes, "I really _did_ wanna take a nap."

A hearty chuckle escaped his lips as a smile formed across mine, and he took my face in his hands, kissing me softly.

"I think that sounds like a great idea," I would've suggested him staying in my room and keeping me company, seeing as lately, I'd actually been having trouble falling asleep without him being at my side. But there was the issue of Charlie, and I didn't want to let my guard down so early into our stay. He'd probably force Edward to stay at a motel.

I mentally rolled my eyes at the thought as I showed him the way to the guest bedroom.

* * *

The tension was palpable in the air as Jacob took a seat next to his father along the long, dining room table set for eight. Five of the eight had filled the seats already, but the other three were still driving.

"So, where's the food?" Billy broke the uncomfortable silence, looking around himself for any signs of dishes, as Charlie gave a laugh.

"Sue is bringing everything. You know, what? I think I'll give her a call to see what the hold up is," he excused himself from the table as I felt a fleeting moment of panic at being left alone with Jacob and Billy, who were currently interchanging between giving Edward looks of appraisal and disdain.

After about two minutes of cringe-worthy staring and forced smiles: "Billy! Sue's stuck in some traffic, so she might be a while. But the game is on," he poked his head into the room as Billy immediately began wheeling his way through the arched doorway – a little _too_ eagerly – while Jacob remained, not appealed by the offer to watch baseball with our fathers.

I took a deep breath, letting it out as I felt Edward's hand under the table, reaching for mine, and interlacing our fingers together.

"You move on quickly," Jacob commented, as my grip on Edward's hand tightened, and he stiffened beside me. I could see him biting the inside of his cheek – a clear sign that he was holding his tongue.

"There was nothing to move on from," I stated calmly, as Jacob's mouth clamped shut, momentarily stunned into silence.

"Is he the reason that we broke up? It just seems a little coincidental to me that after we ended things, you just immediately started dating someone else," Jacob's beady black eyes bore into my narrowed ones.

"Are you accusing me of _cheating_ you on you? Because if so, you really must not know me at all," I forced all of the venom I could muster into my voice, and he looked a bit taken aback, even seeming to question himself, as Edward cleared his throat, looking as if he were hiding a smile.

"I broke up with you for my own reasons, which I've told you countless times. Edward had nothing to do with it," okay, Edward and I had started texting each other while I was still with Jacob, but things hadn't been romantic back then. And I'd broken up with Jacob before I even began catching feelings for Edward. So, I was not a cheater – and it was really aggravating me that Jacob was insinuating that I was.

"So after four years, you just realized that you had no feelings for me. And after, what, two – three – weeks with Casanova, you think you're in love? You're introducing him to Charlie? Why does none of this make sense?" _because you're in denial_, I wanted to scream, as Jacob shook his head. For the entire time that we'd been conversing, Edward had kept his mouth shut, but Jacob's comment had felt a bit like a slap in the face, and Edward wasn't letting that fly.

"Are you _seriously_ pulling that argument on her? Spending more time with someone doesn't automatically make you love him or her. You could spend years with a person and not feel anything. And it works the other way: you can spend a few weeks with someone else and feel… everything," Edward cut himself short, seeming to be avoiding all eye contact with me, while I was staring unblinkingly at him. Well, then. He just took the words right out of my mouth.

"Okay, one, you have no business in this conversation. It's between Bella, and me. Second of all: this guy?" Jacob was staring me down as he jabbed a finger in Edward's direction. "You chose _Romeo_ over me?"

I didn't really understand how choosing Romeo over Jacob was a bad thing, but all the same, I rolled my eyes at him, really wishing he'd just stop talking about this. I wished he'd accept the reasoning behind the end of our relationship without overcomplicating the situation like he currently was.

"Like it or not, she's my girlfriend. And you're making her uncomfortable, so automatically, you're involving me in this," Edward stated with a clenched jaw as I bit my lip, really wishing that this wasn't an inappropriate time to kiss him.

"I just don't understand it," Jacob squinted his eyes at Edward, before turning to me, "Really. What do you even like about him?"

He was actively pressing all of my buttons at once, and I hated it.

"Let's not go down this road, Jacob. I'd rather not profess my feelings for my current boyfriend in front of my ex-boyfriend."

I gave him a look, wondering what more he could _say_, when – yes, you guessed it – he opened his mouth again.

Could I please get this boy a muzzle?

"So why'd you go out with me in the first place? Were you bored? Or did you just enjoy stringing me on?" my jaw fell open, and Edward was beginning to look like he was holding himself back from reaching across the table and giving Jacob a piece of his mind.

"How could you even say that? I went out with you because you were my good friend, and I could see you having the potential to be a great boyfriend. My fault was that I was thinking with logic, not emotion," my tone softened towards the end, as I sighed.

"I kept telling myself that I'd eventually develop feelings for you, because there was no way that I couldn't, when you were that sweet a guy. Years passed and I never did, and I just couldn't force things anymore," Edward was slowly beginning to relax next to me, realizing that the conversation had taken somewhat of a pleasant turn. He continued to ease my anxiety by rubbing circles with his thumb on my hand, as I squeezed his reassuringly.

Jacob gave me a look of calculation, as if he were working out whether or not he should believe me. So I began again, thinking deeper.

"I don't think you loved me, Jacob. I think you loved the idea of me, but you never loved me. You wanted us to be good together, and so did I. But we never were. Neither of us was happy in that relationship, but I took a while to admit it. And you – you don't want to accept it," could you really be in love with someone if they don't make you feel content? I was certain that I didn't evoke happiness in Jacob, but I also knew that he really wanted me to. So it's possible that his feelings for me, while maybe genuine, weren't strong enough to be called love.

"You'll meet someone, maybe in a few weeks, maybe in a couple of years. And you'll know what it means to be in love, and you'll know that what we had wasn't it," I let out a sigh, as Jacob's eyes flickered down to his lap, not really wanting to meet my eyes, or Edward's for that matter.

For a moment, I thought that he still had some firepower for a round three, but all I saw on his face was a look that he had finally cleared up what he needed to. It was a look of acceptance.

The sound of the doorbell was the break in awkward silence that we desired, and Jacob pushed back from the table without a word, stalking across the room to greet whoever was at the door.

I hadn't realized how much I'd been waiting and wanting to have this talk with Jacob until it had finally finished, and I felt ten thousand times lighter. It was easier to breathe – I'd never felt this much relief before. Now, I didn't have to constantly worry that Jacob was still hung up on us, or that he wanted me back.

He was still mulling things over and reflecting on our relationship, I guess, to understand if his feelings for me had been real or forced. I knew that deep down, he already knew the answer to that question.

I looked over at Edward as the voices of Sue, Seth and Leah filled the hallway.

"So is he finally going to back off?" Edward cocked an eyebrow at me, as I wondered aloud:

"By 'he', do you mean Jacob, or my dad?" Maybe now, Charlie would realize that I wasn't trying to ruin his friendship with Billy, and that things with Jacob were ending on a relatively good note.

He answered almost immediately, "Both."

I giggled, pressing my lips lightly to his.

"I think so," smiling after pulling back, I stood to greet the guests who were just about walking into the dining room.

"Bella!" for a moment, I almost didn't recognize Seth, thinking that Leah had brought along her boyfriend.

"Whoa, Seth. I leave you for a couple of months and you just go ahead and grow up on me," I shook my head, as he embraced me in a hug, now a couple of inches taller than me.

"That's what you get for leaving your little bro for so long," the last time I'd visited Sue and her family down at the reservation was almost a year ago. I usually only ever spent a couple of days in Forks in the rare times that I visited, and more often than not, I didn't usually get the chance to drive down to the Rez.

Seth and I had always been close – I'd known him since his birth, back when Jake and I were five. Sixteen years later and he now looked at me as another older sister, wishing that I'd actually become a part of his family.

With the obvious staring between my father and his mother, it wouldn't be long before that wish came true.

"I want you to meet my boyfriend, Edward," he had already stood up, and after calling him over, Seth took hold of his hand, giving it an eager shake.

Then, beckoning him closer to make sure no one else could hear, "Between me and you, I never liked Jacob for her. Let's hope I feel differently about you."

Then, he gave his signature goofy grin, that actually reminded a lot of Emmett's, as Edward gave him an appreciative smile.

"Let's hope so."

I made similar introductions with Sue and Leah, who were both extremely polite with Edward, trying to get a feel for how they should act around him.

Leah and I had always had a complicated relationship, with her constant googly-eyes at Jacob, and my then relationship with him. We'd actually been friends before Jacob had shown interest in me, and he'd missed the clear signs that she was pretty much head over heels in love with him.

But now that I was out of the picture, I was hoping that he'd be a little more observant with her, because they really deserved one another. Leah deserved his reciprocated feelings after all of these years of not giving up on him, and Jacob deserved someone who cared deeply for him, and had affectionate feelings towards him.

I watched as Leah took the seat next to Jacob, opposite Edward and me, striking up a conversation with him. The best part: he actually seemed pretty interested in what she was saying.

Then again, I was also mentally playing matchmaker because I wanted more people to know what it felt like to feel connected to someone on a level that couldn't be explained. I wanted more people to have this immense feeling expanding in their chest for someone who quite possible felt the same way.

I was sure that I was in love with Edward Cullen. There wasn't a doubtful bone in my body at this point.

I just wasn't sure I could tell him just yet.

* * *

**A/N: What did you guys think?**

**Liked it? Hated it? Pleeeeease leave me your thoughts in the form of a review :) **

**I personally liked a lot of the elements of this chapter. I wished I could've made it longer, actually. But you know me. I get kind of bored. **

**Anyway, again, I miiiight not be updating next weekend (I'll update by the 28****th**** of this month, though), so if you feel like I have neglected this story, that's not the case. I just have exams and stuff. **

**OH and the other day, I woke up earlier than normal for school so I just lay in bed and ended up brainstorming idea for how I want the rest of this story to pan out. I'm pretty excited!**

**You all are pretty awesome, just by the way.**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Glad you all found the Charlie encounter to be interesting :) **

**Thank you for all of the alerts &amp; favourites, and the reviews from: **_**Monyetta, Scrat (Guest), sujari6, Bugsmamawolf, brebre99, TwilightAddict7, twilightView, cbmorefie, lupis93, jodileighcullen, 2brown-eyes, jansails, Em2017, misstresswillow, katelyndc, michael . vandebroek, BusyBeexoxo, TwilighterSam1989, SandPrincess13, Yali . Page, twiannfav, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 20

Bella 

The rest of the dinner, thankfully, began to progress nicely after the Clearwaters had arrived, easing a great deal of tension that had been present before. With Seth's joke-cracking, and Jacob's easygoing demeanor around me, I truly felt like things were slowly beginning to go back to how they'd been before Jacob and I had started dating.

And of course, Leah's eyes remained glued to Jacob throughout the entire night, and unsurprisingly, he seemed to be enjoying the attention, while my hand remained clasped in Edward's.

Slowly, but surely, after realizing Edward's obvious interest in football and other sports-related things, both Charlie and Billy began including him in their conversations, making my shoulders relax and a few sighs of relief escape my lips.

The thing is, Edward wasn't even faking it for my father, he genuinely enjoyed various sports and – thankfully – shared an allegiance to my father's favorite baseball team.

I noticed it throughout the dinner - the subtle softening of his brown eyes that were slightly darker than mine, as he looked Edward and I over, before glancing over at Jacob and taking note of his amazement that Leah could hold her own in car talk.

It happened while Edward was helping me with the dishes, and Charlie was just shutting the front door after waving goodbye to Billy and Jacob – who had waved goodbye to me and Edward, still a bit awkward with the way things had worked out, but slowly beginning to accept it.

"Listen… Edward," Charlie cleared his throat as I bit my lip, and Edward gave me a wide-eyed look before composing himself and turning around to face my father.

"Sir?" he answered, furrowing his eyebrows, expecting a second wave of the interrogation to occur. I was prepared to pull us both out of the fire if that were to happen, since I'd had just about enough of Charlie's antics for one day.

But deep down, I knew that he wasn't going to intimidate Edward this time.

"I, um. I'm not good at these things, but… you're okay. For Bella. I mean, I approve of whatever you two have going on. With Billy being my good friend and all, we always wanted our kids to stay close to each other, and Jacob's a good boy, so I liked the idea of him being Bella's boyfriend," he really wasn't helping Edward's self-confidence so far, and I hoped to the Lord that this conversation was going to turn around.

And it did: "But it's clear that neither of them truly want to be together, and I shouldn't force it anymore. I shouldn't have forced it in the first place, really. I just want my daughter to be happy, and you do that for her. Plus, you seem like an okay guy personality-wise, so... I'm sorry for everything. You too, Bella. I'm sorry for springing this dinner on you. I guess I got a little wound up."

I blinked several times, trying to make sure that this wasn't all some wonderfully twisted daydream that I was about to wake up from.

One peep at Edward to meet his look of shock was all I needed to know that that hadn't all been my imagination.

Edward shook himself out of his stupor before me, taking a deep breath, before slowly nodding, moving forward, "Thank you, for your approval. And for the apology." My father smiled awkwardly, patting Edward on the shoulder before meeting my eyes, silently wanting to know if he was off the hook now.

I rolled my eyes, smiling, as I walked over and wrapped him in a hug, "Even though you can be a little too much sometimes… I love you, dad."

He embraced me for a few seconds before letting go, and signaling that he was calling it a night.

"So… two parents down, two to go," I smirked, as Edward tugged on my wrist, pulling me against him with a smile.

"Well, if it's any consolation, you don't have to worry about my parents interrogating you. I think they're just going to be more thrilled than anything that I've finally found someone I care about."

I swear I melted like butter every time he said stuff like that – he seemed so brutally honest about it, as well.

It got me thinking back to this evening when Jacob had sprung his accusations on me, and Edward had remained rather calm about everything. And even with Charlie, he'd remained nothing but respectful.

"You're pretty incredible. You know that, right?" I smiled, watching as he gave me a look of total surprise.

"No… enlighten me," he chuckled, still holding onto me as I looked down to the tiled floor, before meeting his eyes.

"Things could've gone so much differently. I know you said you wouldn't, but I'm still kind of amazed that the Charlie and Jacob encounters didn't have you running for the hills, because those were both pretty exhausting," I sighed, momentarily reliving the entire experience as Edward's fingers brushed against my cheek.

"Really, Bella. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. It's going to take a lot to scare me away from you," my cheeks went up in flames and Edward leaned to kiss both of them, that soft smile gracing his lips.

I felt like the moment was as perfect as it could get – to tell him, to get it out into the air - but my throat felt constricted. I was too nervous. I couldn't tell him that I loved him. The possible reactions were making me nauseous.

"So, what are the plans for tomorrow?" he asked, as we returned to packing away the clean dishes.

"I'm not sure yet. We can sleep in, and then, tour around a bit? Forks is pretty dull, and Port Angeles isn't a whole lot better, but we might find more stuff to do there."

* * *

We ended up waking up at eleven o'clock on Wednesday morning, spending most of the day at home, relaxing and watching movies, before heading out for some lunch in Port Angeles. We'd ended up using my rusty old red Chevy pick-up, which Edward was shocked could even still turn on.

And besides that, I was pretty relieved that we didn't have any more awkward run-ins with classmates from high school, or anything of that sort, though I didn't expect Edward to really pay a lot of them any heed.

Bright and early on Thursday morning, Charlie, Edward and I piled into the police cruiser, on our way to the airport an hour away.

The flight time to Chicago wasn't too ridiculous – it was about four and a half hours – so by the time we got into the state, it would be around one o'clock in the afternoon.

Goodbyes with Charlie were never overly emotional, unlike my mother, who was practically weeping when Edward and I had left for Forks.

"I'll see you for summer, alright?" I reassured him, as he cracked a small smile, nodding his head.

"Edward?" Charlie called after us, right when we'd begun to make our way through security.

"You're a good man. Take care of her," he wasn't threatening, but more insistent that Edward followed his orders. And I was grateful that he'd loosened up around my boyfriend, seeing as I didn't plan on letting Edward go for a very long time – not ever, if that was in the cards.

"I will. I promise," Edward turned to me, with a look on his face that said he was being completely honest, wanting nothing more than to make sure I was always happy, and safe.

I waved goodbye to Charlie, threading my fingers through Edward's as he pulled me forward to the last meeting we'd be making for this trip.

* * *

Edward's mother insisted that I refer to her as Esme, buzzing around the two of us as she offered her hand in carrying some of our luggage.

I laughed, "Esme, really, I can handle this."

Her eyes softened and she stopped in her movement to look over at me, "Are you sure, dear? I feel useless. Let me at least carry your hand luggage."

Edward just continued to grin away at his mother's antics as I relented, finding some comfort in the fact that my hand luggage barely weighed a thing.

"Your father is on call for the majority of the afternoon, but he'll be home in time for dinner. What are you two feeling to eat?" she smiled politely, her caramel hair blowing in the wind like something out of a shampoo commercial.

Edward had gotten his eyes from her, though his were a darker, more intense green.

He had mentioned that her field of work was interior design, so when we pulled up to their three-story mansion after driving through a more secluded section of town, I wasn't too taken aback by the home décor assaulting my vision.

"Your house is beautiful," I whispered, meaning for only Edward to hear, but smiling a little when Esme threw back a "Thank you!" from inside of the kitchen.

"How does chicken and sweet potato curry sound?" his mother began scouring through the refrigerator as Edward glanced over at me, shrugging.

I gave an eager nod, as he chuckled, "Sounds amazing, mom."

"Alright, well I'll whip up something for you to eat in the meantime, and then I'll head over to the grocery," she beamed at the two of us, as Edward's hand slipped around my waist.

She eyed the gesture, looking like she was holding back a smile, fixing her green eyes on me as I blushed.

"Bella, do you have any food allergies, or any particulars?" she waited for my response of a simple headshake, and a "No, I'm not really picky when it comes to food" before digging through the pantry.

I just continued to watch her movements in amazement, finding it strangely delightful how she seemed to be the picture perfect image of a mother. It was foreign to me seeing someone besides me working in the kitchen with such ease.

"I'm going to load our stuff upstairs. Do you wanna come?" Edward's emerald orbs gazed into my eyes, and rather than follow him around, I decided to continue watching the cooking show happening in front of me.

"I'm alright," I allowed him to pull away from me, before turning to him again, "Unless you want my help?"

I was met with his dazzling crooked grin, "No, Bella. I'll be fine."

His lips touched my cheek as he left the room, and my eyes followed him, before refocusing my attention on Esme.

She had paused in her movements of dicing the carrots, her eyes drifting from the door to me.

Her smile resembled one of Alice's teasing ones that she saved for whenever I got all googly-eyed over Edward, not even realizing that I was practically drooling all over him.

"I'm not going to lie. I was a bit wary when Edward told his father and me that he'd met someone. I'm sure you know that he hasn't had many before you – actually, he hasn't had any interests before you… Anything serious, anyway. I've never met any of his dates, so when he said that he wanted us to meet you, I knew that you were different," Esme shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek.

"And I was right. You're the girl I told him to wait for," she sighed as I inhaled sharply.

"You seem like a wonderful person, Bella. I'm happy my son has found you," her words rang out with clarity, completely genuine, matching the smile on her face.

I was having a hard time remembering how to use my mouth and form words.

"Thank you" seemed completely insufficient for what she'd just told me, but unfortunately, it was all I had.

"That means… a lot to me, coming from you. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life since meeting him," she didn't seem surprised by my words – as if she'd already figured my feelings out. I looked from the counter to Esme's actions of cutting up the broccoli, and I did a mental face palm.

"I'm sorry, do you want some help?" regardless of her insistence that I sit down and relax after the flight, I went over to help her finish the vegetables and the pasta sauce, as she began to wipe her hands against the striped apron.

"Thank you, Bella. You really didn't have to," Esme took a seat next to me, gently touching my forearm, again projecting me to some weird visions I'd had as a child of what a mother is supposed to be like.

Not that I didn't love my mother – because I do. She just… wasn't much of a mother to me. The age difference had always made it feel as though she was more of an older sister.

"I can see the way he looks at you, and I see the way you look at him. That's all I've ever wanted, Bella. For him to find someone who cares about him as much as he cares about them," we both heard the footsteps on the wooden staircase, and Esme quickly stood up, beginning to offer me something to drink.

"Sorry I took so long. I ended up getting a call from Emmett, and he just talked my ear off," Edward rolled his eyes, seeming annoyed, though I could tell that he was happy to have heard from his best friend.

"What's cookin'?" he wondered aloud, peeking through the dishes on the stove as his mother swatted his hand away.

"Vegetable alfredo. It'll be finished in a minute," she busied herself by grabbing the plates and setting each of them down on the marble counter. Then, precisely one minute later, she began turning off the stove, placing spoons into each of the dishes as she allowed us to have our meal.

Both Edward and I had been starving from the flight, but we'd hidden it pretty well, until catching a whiff of Esme's cooking and practically stuffing our faces.

Her only response was a cocked eyebrow and an amused smile, before she grabbed her keys, deciding that she had better run off to the store to get the rest of the ingredients for the curry.

One vegetable alfredo later and I was washing the deliciousness down with a glass of water, while Edward began to work on finishing his second plate.

"Your mom is so sweet," I took a deep breath, and Edward's lips twitched.

"What were you guys talking about? You know… before I came down," Edward's eyes twinkled with entertainment as I squirmed.

"Nothing," I shrugged, looking away, trying to act casual. But I knew I had failed, even before Edward began laughing.

"You're lying."

Rather than dwell on this subject, I cleared my throat, looking at Edward's empty plate, "Are you finished with that?" He licked his lips before tucking his bottom lip in between his teeth, hesitating to hand it over to me. Eventually he did, following me to the sink.

"You do realize you're going to tell me. Sooner or later," Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, shifting my shirt up so that his hands grazed my skin, moving higher and higher up my torso. He was pretty lucky I'd already placed the dishes down, or else something might've slipped out of my hand.

"You just enjoy torturing me, don't you?" I said shakily, amidst feeling his lips press against my neck.

"A little."

I cracked.

* * *

"So, where exactly..." the question died on my lips as Edward pulled me into a room resembling a library, with shelves upon shelves of books, CDs, records – you name it.

Right in the centre of the room, much in contrast to everything else, sat a sleek, black grand piano. Edward guided me to the seat, where he plopped down, and patted the space beside him for me to sit.

I vividly remembered one of the first conversations we'd shared, when he'd told me about his connection to music, and how he spent much of his spare time composing.

Sliding the protective cloth off, he placed his hands on the keys, eyes focused on the sheet music in front of him as he began to press down. I found myself dazed at how smoothly his fingers seemed to move across the notes, as if this was second nature to him – which I guess it was.

"I missed this," he stated, referring to the instrument, "That was the main downside about leaving for university. Leaving this behind."

I couldn't hide my smile, completely loving the way he spoke about his piano – with such reverence.

"Alright, Beethoven. Play me something else, then," I encouraged him, earning a shake of the head and a slow grin.

He shuffled around the papers, before freezing in his movements, setting them down.

"Actually, I want to play you something that I've been working on," he visibly gulped, and I wondered where on earth this nervousness had come from since he seemed to be nothing but comfortable before. I guess it was different playing something you had written, as opposed to something from a book. More pressure.

Tentatively, I placed my hand against his on the keys, seeing his head turn to me, and gaining the perfect opportunity to press my lips against his, "It's just me. You don't need to be nervous."

He sighed against my lips, pulling away, but not altogether right away.

I could feel his eyes burning into mine, and I wondered what that look meant. But before I could even begin to decipher it, he had placed his hands back onto the keys, closing his eyes briefly, humming the opening keys before playing.

And I couldn't stop staring – couldn't get my ears to fully wrap around the beauty of this piece. It wasn't bouncy like the other one; it had more of a flow to it, like water rushing through a river.

The melody was breathtaking, so much so that I felt my breath hitch, and my jaw drop.

I didn't want the song to stop, it was so soothing, peaceful. My eyes shut on their own accord, only opening after the last note hung in the air.

His eyes were fixed on me, seeming to be most interested in my reaction to his piece.

"Could I download that?" I asked, in all seriousness, watching the first signs of Edward's lopsided grin appear.

"You like it?"

"Edward, that was… beautiful. I can't believe you composed that. I'm a bit speechless," I laughed a little, and his lips all of a sudden were pressed against mine, moving slowly against them as if he were trying to savor the moment.

"It's your song," he whispered against my lips, making me retract.

"What?" I was more than a bit breathless, wondering what exactly he meant by 'your song'.

His smile was small, but still dazzling, "You inspired it, Bella. When I met you… when we started going out… I couldn't get this tune out of my head."

If I'd been silent before, I'd gone completely mute now.

I physically had to force myself to snap out of it, still trying to grasp the fact that he had _written a song for me_.

I traced my fingers along his cheek before pulling his face towards mine, meeting his lips once more in a passionate, over-the-top kiss, that hopefully shared my feelings for him more accurately than words could.

"Bella," Edward managed to breathe out, while we were both still panting away.

"I –"

The sound of a male voice notifying his presence at home caused Edward to stop himself mid-sentence, resembling a dog that'd just been run over.

"Let's go meet my dad."

I was pretty desperate to know what he'd been about to say before the interruption, but I didn't want to press him on the matter, knowing that he'd tell me in time if it was that important.

"Son," a man with white-blonde hair greeted Edward with a big hug, before turning his grey eyes to me.

"It's nice to finally put a face to the name. All I ever hear anymore is Bella, Bella, Bella," his father feigned exhaustion as Edward gave him an unamused look complete with narrowed eyes, and I stifled a giggle.

"I'm sorry about that," I wasn't really sure how I was meant to respond to something like that, but Dr. Cullen seemed appreciative of my effort.

"Don't be. It's refreshing to see him like this," Dr. Cullen shook my hand, a familiar-looking smile on his face – I later realized that Edward had gotten his crooked grin from his father.

"So… dinner? Is it ready, honey?" he called out, hearing his wife's response from the kitchen.

"Patience, darling."

I already loved the two of them.

* * *

"So Bella, you're studying sociology, right? Are you enjoying it?" Carlisle asked after digging into the food. I'd made the mistake of referring to Edward's father as Dr. Cullen and he had cringed, shaking his head, "Please, call me Carlisle. There are no titles at home."

"Yes, very much. I think it's the one subject that really holds my interest, so I'm sticking with it. I'm in my second-to-last year," I smiled, seeing him and his wife nod and Edward match my smile.

More conversation ensued, some expected, some completely out of the blue – "Do you like art?"

"Excuse the observation, but you seem very mature for your age," Carlisle began, before pausing and looking around, "I'm not the only one who thinks that, right?"

Both Edward and Esme shook their heads vigorously as my cheeks heated up.

"We mean that as a compliment, I assure you," Esme cleared the air as I laughed easily.

"People have always told me that. I don't know, I guess it's because I had to grow up really quickly with my mom still being a teenager herself. You can't really have two teenagers in a house, right? Someone has to be the adult." Carlisle and Esme both nodded, seeming to understand all too well.

I could feel Edward take my hand in his under the table, and I smiled, "My dad was a little better, but he still has the potential to burn the house down if he tries to cook something."

Everyone laughed deep belly laughs at that, and I could tell that there were parallels between my father and Edward's father in the cooking area since Esme was giving him a pointed look, completely teasing.

The rest of dinner passed by in the same sort of manner. The Cullens continued to ask me about myself, but it didn't feel like an interview, and I was extremely grateful of that fact.

As Esme began to collect the dishes, heading into the kitchen, I stood, deciding to offer her my assistance, which she reluctantly took after some convincing.

The men continued discussing something medical-related as I began scraping off food into the garbage bin, and wiping the washed dishes dry for Esme to pack away.

A couple of minutes later and we had successfully packed the leftover food into some containers, placing them into the fridge.

"Bella, dear, would you mind asking those two if they want some apple pie and ice-cream?"

In the meantime, she began taking the pie out of the freezer and sticking it into the oven, certain that Carlisle would be up for dessert even if Edward wasn't.

I waltzed out of the kitchen, about to round the corner into the dining room, when a few words caught my attention.

"Have you told her as yet?" it was Carlisle asking Edward about something that he had or hadn't told me – I was assuming they were talking about me, but I didn't want to be too egotistical.

I listened in for a bit longer.

"No," Edward sounded defeated, "I tried to, today. But we got interrupted." I could practically hear him shake his head at his father, and I knew for sure that he was referring to the thing that he'd been about to tell me right before dinner.

"It's a great opportunity for you. I'm sure she'll understand. A year apart could even strengthen the relationship, you know? Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Carlisle continued, and my eyebrows wrinkled.

_Opportunity. Year apart. _

What was he going on about?

"I'm not promising you anything. I'll think about it. And I need to make sure Bella would be okay with it," Edward sighed, and at the mention of my name, I – embarrassingly – jumped, almost knocking over a very expensive-looking vase.

Though nothing had broken, I did end up calling a bit of attention to myself, as Carlisle and Edward shuffled in to see what had happened.

"The vase is okay," I laughed nervously, "I was just coming to tell you both that Esme is making some apple pie and ice-cream."

"Mmm. My favorite," Carlisle sighed, shaking his head, completely oblivious to the awkward tension in the air between Edward and me. I could practically feel him burning a hole through me.

When Carlisle left to help his wife serve the dessert, I chanced a look over at Edward, and I just _knew_ that he knew I'd been listening in.

He looked like I had just stabbed him in the chest, and there was so much guilt on his face that I got ridiculously worried about the entire subject that Carlisle and him had been discussing.

One forced smile from Edward and I could already feel a talk coming on.

* * *

**A/N: Hmm. **

**So, I think you are all anticipating this massive apology for the really long wait: I'm extremely sorry! But hey, I still managed to post this on the 28****th****. I feel bad though, cause I feel like I rushed this. Sorry if I did!**

**My exams are officially over, but of course I'm entering a new semester so I'll still be at school :/ but hopefully this term will treat me better than the past one. **

**I can't believe we've made it to chapter 20 of this story already! Thanks so much for sticking with it :) please feel free to drop me a review letting me know how you find the story to be progressing, if you liked this chapter… you know, all that good stuff. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Thank you for the responses from: **_**Monyetta, Ellie (Guest), Bugsmamawolf, sujari6, Yali . Page, TwilightAddict7, cbmorefie, michael . vandebroek, twilightView, jansails, 2brown-eyes, Em2017, brebre99, TwilighterSam1989, twiannfav, misstresswillow, Bakergrama, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

**So a lot of you were either mad/confused about what the whole "year apart" thing was about, and hopefully this chapter will explain all of it. **

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 21

Bella

I guessed Carlisle had forewarned Esme that Edward and I would not be joining them for dessert; there was no beckoning that we join Edward's parents in the kitchen.

Maybe Carlisle hadn't been as oblivious to my eavesdropping as I'd initially thought.

Edward politely asked if I'd join him in his room, where we'd have a lot more privacy than was offered in the dining room.

With each step up the staircase, my anxiety over all of this only grew, my thoughts a whirlwind of all of the possibilities as to why Edward was potentially leaving for a year.

He shut the door to his room softly, turning to face me, not making a move to sit down.

"So you heard everything," he cleared his throat, passing his fingers through his hair, never taking his eyes off of me.

"I didn't mean to listen in. I just got curious when I was mentioned," I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, wanting to clear that up, first and foremost. I really didn't want him to think that I had nothing better to do with my time than spy on him – I wasn't that kind of girlfriend.

A light chuckle escaped his lips, as if that hadn't even been a worry on his mind, "I'm not angry. I'm more interested in explaining myself to you."

I waited as Edward gathered his thoughts, rubbing his chin, "So I applied for placements for an internship in various hospitals and medical centres. Some near New Hampshire, some… not so much."

I had a very clear idea of where this was going, but just to be sure I wasn't misinterpreting the situation, I began, "You got a job offer that's really appealing, but it's far away."

He began nodding.

"How far away, exactly?" I didn't like the way his face had suddenly gone pale.

"Zürich," now, he looked incredibly anxious as to what my reaction would be.

"In Switzerland?" I clarified, feeling a bit like I was about to pass out.

"I applied for this job months before I even started talking to you. I honestly didn't think I'd get in because the program is so competitive – I just applied on a whim, and I only just heard back from them about a week ago," he explained, voice lowering towards the end.

I knew this program had to be highly tempting for some reason, but I wasn't completely certain what that reason was, so I posed the question. I was beginning to feel a bit like I had lost him already even though we hadn't even begun to discuss any of this yet.

"Well, it's an internship, but during that time, I'd get to work with some of the top cardiovascular surgeons in the country, and even get the resources to conduct my own research. I'm just… putting it out there. Look, it's a great offer, but I'm not saying that I'm going to accept it. Switzerland is… far away, and my hours are going to be long," his fingers once again threaded into his bronze locks, which had grown considerably longer since I'd met him.

My arms were folded, and I was chewing on my bottom lip, until finally, I took a deep breath, "And if I was out of the picture, would you take the job?"

We both knew the answer to that question, even before a minute had passed and Edward's head reluctantly tilted down in a nod.

"Then go," I said, though it didn't sound nearly as convincing as I'd hoped it would.

"Bella," he sighed, walking towards me, holding my face in his hands and forcing my eyes to meet his.

"I didn't expect you to be thrilled about this, which is why it was difficult for me to even begin to tell you. A job is great and all, but you're an important part of my life now, and I need to know, honestly, how you feel about all of this," his green eyes melted into mine, and it didn't take much longer before I was exhaling and telling him exactly what was running through my mind.

"Obviously, I'm selfish, and I want you to stay with me, for as long as possible. But this is something that happens in a relationship. This is something that I hoped wouldn't happen, but is happening. And I can't force you to turn down an amazing experience just for me."

I took a deep breath as he shook his head, a smile on his face, "I don't want you to think like that. This relationship means the world to me. You wouldn't be forcing me into anything. If you want me to stay, I'll stay willingly."

Now it was my turn to shake my head. I knew that he was trying to take my guilt away, but I didn't want to have this weight on my shoulders that I was holding him back.

"If I was in your position, I'd feel torn up about the choice as well, but ultimately, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you should take. You have to take it," my voice was softer than usual, and it killed me that I was essentially giving him my approval to leave for a whole year, but I knew that if he didn't go, regret would eat him alive. And I didn't want to be responsible for that.

The worst thing imaginable would be him choosing me over Switzerland and being disappointed with his decision. Being Edward, he'd try to hide it, but I'd see right through it.

I wanted him here, by my side, but life isn't always that easy.

Edward remained silent, and I busied myself with feeling the soft cotton of his t-shirt beneath my fingertips.

"When do you have to leave?" I swallowed hard, trying reign in my emotions, knowing that if I only began to show signs of a breakdown, he'd immediately waver and we'd have to start this entire process over.

He took a while to respond, and when he did, it was like another slap in the face, "July."

Four months, basically.

Four months wasn't a long time at all.

I shut my eyes, forcing myself to take a few breaths.

It was a question I was burning to ask, but at the same time, didn't want to hear the answer to. But it needed to be cleared up; I needed to know how things were supposed to go from here.

"What's going to happen? To us, I mean," my eyes blinked open, and Edward had a look on his face that showed desperation.

"I want to make this work, but I can't ask you to hold onto me if things get unbearable. I know long-distance relationships can be difficult, and people can drift apart. I don't want to imagine that being us, but I know these things are possible."

"But, Bella?" he paused, and I nodded for him to go on.

"I'm not ready to let you go just yet. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted you in my life for a very long time. So, I'm willing to try, if you want to. If feelings change, we can discuss it at that time. For now, would you be alright with being my girlfriend?" his green eyes looked deeply imploring, and I didn't realize that mine were watering until my vision became blurry.

Subtly, I began to blink away the tears threatening to spill, inhaling deeply as I regained my composure, letting his words envelop and comfort me. Truthfully, I don't think I would've handled it very well if his answer had been anything but this one. I couldn't end things with him without at least knowing if we could've made it work with the distance.

"Of course."

I loved him, and I was willing to put in the effort to make this relationship work - even if we were thousands of miles apart. I didn't want my feelings to change, and I was certain they weren't going to, but I knew this would be the ultimate test for our relationship. And if we could make it out of this in one piece, we could go through hell and back.

His head dipped down to meet my lips in a sweet, enchanting kiss, pushing all the worries, and the deep, dark thoughts to the back of my mind, as I focused solely on the wonderful man I had in front of me.

His hand slipped behind my neck, pulling me closer while mine found themselves tugging on his belt loops so that his body was pressed against mine.

Almost instantly, his tongue managed to slip through my mouth, entangling with mine as our breaths became ragged and my mind dizzied.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against mine, content with openly staring at me as we regained our regular breathing. Those dark pools of emerald settled on my brown ones, and it was a feeling a got as I gazed into them - I knew that even if things had the unfortunate case of not working out, I would've spent the best months of my life with Edward Cullen.

My heart skipped a beat when his lips once again met mine, "Spend the night with me?"

We hadn't had the courage to sleep in the same room in Florida, and definitely not in Forks with Charlie's ridiculous behaviour. But I guess current events had thrown all of our reservations out of the window.

And even though he wasn't insinuating anything more than sharing the same bed space, it still caused shivers to run down my spine as I nodded.

* * *

We'd both gotten showered and dressed, and I was wearing one of my oversized t-shirts and a pair of shorts that I'd brought along with me as I crawled into Edward's bed.

I felt overwhelmingly secure as his arm went around my waist, pulling me close to him, his hand slowly gravitating towards my bare thigh. A ghost of a smile played across my lips as my hands took the more innocent route of tracing across his face.

It was just the need to touch him; to know that he was still here. I wanted to soak up as much time with him as I possibly could, as close to him as possible.

I could've easily told him to stay with me, take a job in New Hampshire. I didn't want to have to deal with the prospect of him being so far away from me. No girlfriend would want that, especially not this early into a relationship, when I was still getting to know him. But I couldn't do that to him.

The only solace that I had was the fact that we still had four months before his departure, and that with technology, hopefully the distance wouldn't feel quite so heart wrenching – at least we weren't living in the days when Skype didn't exist.

And then maybe, when his internship was over, and my final year of Dartmouth was up, we could both find jobs within close proximity to each other, and things would fall right back into place.

Unless, of course, that didn't happen, and rather than come back to the U.S., Edward decided to stay in Europe, where he would end up finding a beautiful French girlfriend who was ten times more attractive and fascinating than me, and they'd make gorgeous bronze-haired babies.

"Bella," Edward broke me out of my train of thought as I began to feel like I was on the verge of hyperventilation.

My panic had only mildly shown itself on the outside, and Edward focused intently on my creased eyebrows and sickly palour, calmly asking me if I was feeling nauseous.

"No, I'll be fine," I told myself to calm down and stop overthinking the situation, as he absentmindedly began to stroke my lower back, positioning his face closer to mine so that I felt his cool, minty breath fanning across my face.

Slowly, I began to feel the tension in my stomach unknot itself, and only when I seemed to have sufficiently relaxed did Edward begin to open his mouth.

"I want to believe that we can make it through this, Bella. I know things happen, and even the most perfect relationships can fall apart after time, but I have faith in us. You're the first, and only girl I've felt so… connected to. There seems to be this invisible string pulling me towards you, which I don't feel is going to snap any time soon," and then he slowly began to gently stroke my face with his thumb.

"After I'd played you your lullaby, I'd been on the verge of explaining the whole internship to you," he began, seeming to have been bothered that he'd never gotten the chance to explain himself.

A small smile formed across my lips, "I figured."

Then he began to bite the inside of his cheek, "But there was something else that I wanted to tell you, which I feel will let you know just how much I want this to work."

My heart began pounding so much in my ears that I almost didn't feel as if I'd heard him correctly the first time.

My hands were shaking as I moved closer to him, our noses touching, "Say it again."

"I love you," he seemed more confident about it this time, sensing the way I'd reacted positively to his confession.

Whenever I'd pictured him saying those words, I'd always imagined grand gestures and candlelit dinners, but that's all that they were – dreams. Hearing that he loved me, after discussing all of these real-life plans and problems that we had to work through – it all felt _real_. I didn't question it.

And a few seconds later, when everything had actually registered in my mind, my body seemed to act completely on its own accord, pressing against him, still feeling the rush of adrenaline his words had given me as my lips planted onto his.

"So, I didn't freak you out?" he chuckled, touching his lips once more to mine, as I began to beam.

"Let's just say I've been waiting to hear you say that for quite some time now, so no," and with that, my eyes slid shut as his lips captured mine, pressing his hands against my lower back as he began to move that I was laying on top of him.

"You know you're just making it harder for me to let you go," I breathed out as his hands slipped under my shirt, momentarily freezing as he moved back, making sure his eyes were looking directly into mine.

"Why?" he wondered, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"Because I won't be able to have any of this in four months. And I don't think I can get enough of you in that time," I answered truthfully, unable to help myself from thinking about how as much as things were wonderful now, that this would all be changing.

Just the mere thought that I wouldn't be able to reach out and touch him anymore was just killing the mood for me.

"How about this," he began his proposition, keeping his hand on my face, "For the next four months, I'll either spend the night at your apartment, or you spend the night at mine. No excuses. And when I leave, I'll Skype you every single day, even if I'm exhausted and I fall asleep halfway through the call, and even if you're busy. And when I come back for good, if you still have feelings for me, we'll go on a trip together, just the two of us, to any place you'd like. And we'll stay there, catching up until we've made up for lost time."

My face was red, my eyes prickling as I mulled over his words, before taking his face in my hands, "It's a deal." And with that, he promptly began to continue where he'd left off.

Of course, we couldn't really _do_ anything, since his parents were at home, and I didn't quite want to take things to the next level with Edward for the first time only to realize that his parents had heard the entire thing.

So, we kept things passionate, but relatively harmless, content with being wrapped around each other for the remainder of the night.

* * *

The goodbyes to Carlisle and Esme that Saturday had been sweet, with many promises to visit again, as Edward and I headed off to the gate that would take us back home.

And just as Edward had promised, every single night thereafter was spent with him at my side, cuddling close, never once forgetting that the date of his eventual departure to Switzerland was slowly approaching.

Regardless of our inseparability, time continued to pass, and before we knew it, it was the day of his graduation from medical school at Dartmouth. Meanwhile, I still had a year left, and I hated to think that if it weren't for that, things could have been a little less complicated in terms of our situation.

"So how does it feel to finally be done?" Emmett clapped Edward on the back as he adjusted his tie in the mirror.

"Weird. And I'm still deciding if that's a good or bad thing," he replied honestly, as Emmett nodded, spotting me, and throwing me one of his tremendously huge grins.

I was just slipping on my heels – I'd gotten a bit of practice walking in those death traps, all thanks to Alice – as Edward turned, hearing the clicking of my footsteps.

It wasn't my graduation, so I hadn't really gone all-out in terms of attire, but I did feel that I was wearing something pretty, yet appropriate for the occasion. A high-neck dark green dress – yes, it matched Edward's eyes - that reached a few inches above my knees and had a hint of a shimmering effect to it, with black heels and matching jewelry.

"Exquisite, as always," he took my hand, helping me along, but not before pressing his lips softly against mine. Neither of us had forgotten that the day of his graduation marked a week until his parting to Zürich.

But I forced my smile to show that day, clapping as he crossed that stage, because I truly was proud of him, even though it felt a bit like someone was choking me.

There was a heavy cloud of impending doom hanging all around us at the post-grad dinner – Edward's parents had decided to call it a night, having flown in early that morning with little sleep.

It was just us friends – Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Edward and me – crowded around the booth, all of us looking a bit like we'd heard news of someone's passing. Edward's decision to move across the world hadn't just affected me - as much as it felt that way.

I wasn't the only one at that table who cared for Edward. I was probably the only one who would pathetically steal some of his t-shirts so that I could hold onto a piece of him while he was away, but -

"Alright guys, we still have a week. This isn't the last time I'll be seeing you before I leave," Edward interrupted my embarrassing thought process, finally breaking the silence, unable to take the sense of loss hanging in the air.

"And I _will_ be visiting, and keeping in contact with all of you. I'm not dying. I'm not going off to war. I'm just going to be a little further away than normal," he was downplaying it, but we all appreciated it. Especially me.

I began to squeeze his hand under the table, feeling him squeeze back with as much force.

I'd almost expected Emmett to be cracking jokes all now, but I had quickly realized that the relationship they had built during their time as roommates had been one that couldn't be replaced. It would be difficult for Emmett to live without Edward – I actually worried that he wouldn't be capable of managing their apartment by himself.

They'd lived together for all of this time. And even though Edward's internship was only supposed to be for a year, all of us knew that with his brilliance, the doors would only open up for him after this, and there would be a chance that coming back home wouldn't be much of an option for him.

"Man, who am I gonna play _Mario Kart_ with now?" Emmett hung his head in distress as the group of us held in our sighs, and Jasper cleared his throat.

"I'm just as good as Edward. I'm sure I can take you."

In the same saddened voice as before, Emmett's response made me crack a smile, "Thanks Jasper, but I let Edward win. I'd crush you any day."

"You did _not_ let me win," Edward narrowed his eyes, beginning a major discussion among the boys about who was truly the best at _Mario Kart_, as the rest of us girls sighed, only slightly relieved that the attention had temporarily been taken off of Edward's travel plans the next week.

* * *

_I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. _

Edward had already gone through his goodbyes with his parents, and our friends, and almost instantly, everyone began to disperse, wanting to give the couple some privacy.

He was clearly avoiding eye contact with me, and I was pretty much doing the same, knowing that one look into his emerald green eyes and I'd be projected right back to lovely memories, and how things were going to be so different now.

His face looked red as his eyes finally met mine, stepping closer to me as my face instantly looked down to the ground.

"I'll see you soon," he kissed my forehead, as my hands gripped his shirt tightly, my throat aching to tell him not to go.

"Remember my promise. One year, and then we go somewhere, anywhere you want," my eyes were beginning to water and I knew it wasn't going to be long before the tears came. Especially when he was making promises like this to me; promises that I needed to come true.

So before he could see me in a state, I tugged on his shirt, pulling his mouth to mine as I kissed him hard, not caring that we were in a public place, just wanting to feel his lips against mine for the last time in a while. I made sure my fingers had one last run through his silky bronze locks.

By the time we'd come up for air, my lips were tingling, feeling a bit like they had been set on fire, and I held that close to my memory, needing to remember the sensation brought on from his lips touching mine.

"I love you, Edward," I spoke up finally, as his hands cupped my cheeks and he pulled me in for one more sweet kiss, hearing the intercom go off that his flight was now boarding.

Before he left, his arms enveloped me in a strong embrace, and I took a slow whiff of his scent – honey and lilac.

"I love you. This doesn't change anything for me."

And just like that, he began his journey to Switzerland, and I began mine back home, where I predictably had a bit of a breakdown, finding comfort in Rosalie and Alice as they assured me that things would get easier with time. Neither of them had experienced a long-distance relationship, so neither could really give me sustaining advice.

But it was all I had, so I took it.

* * *

**A/N: Just a little disclaimer that the program Edward plans to enroll into in Switzerland (to my knowledge) doesn't exist. Though, I have heard that they have great healthcare there. **

**I feel like a lot of you want to kill me, so I'm just going to apologize right now for this. Not only the events of the chapter, but also my late update. **

**You guys are always super understanding and I'm so appreciative of it, so I needed to warn you that the next update is probably going to be a while. I won't leave you guys hanging for more than two/three weeks, but I have a lot of stuff to focus on right now (it's temporary, don't worry), but yeah a lot of important things are happening this month so I can't balance writing for now. I'm really sorry. **

**But again, it'll just be a few weeks, and then I'll be right back here with another update. **

**In the meantime, please let me know what you thought of this chapter. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Oh look. I'm alive! So so sorry for the late update… but I was busy with some super important stuff that unfortunately took precedence over TLD :(**

**On another note: I was relatively surprised that a lot of you enjoyed that last chapter regardless of the sudden decision and all that. **

**Thank you for all of the feedback since it really helps me know what I'm doing right/wrong: **_**Libertied Insanity, misstresswillow, cbmorefie, Em2017, Yali . Page, 2brown-eyes, michael . vandebroek, chicagochi4183, LizziePaige, Bugsmamawolf, sujari6, xxxbulletxxx, twilightView, Lililovingreading, TwilightAddict7, jansails, TwilighterSam1989, Bakergrama, Monyetta, vampirelady13, **_**and 1 **_**Guest. **_

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 22

Bella

I couldn't honestly say that things got easier with time. In fact, there were times when both of us felt a bit helpless with the time difference and both of our busy schedules. It was a miracle that I held myself together enough every day to go to class and still keep on top of things.

I guess the thing that continued to keep me going was our daily Skype calls, just when I got home from class, and just as Edward was getting ready for bed. Regardless of the fact that most of the time, we'd run out of things to talk about and just silently bask in each other's virtual company, it was better than nothing.

Christmas lights were already being strung up for the holiday season, and even my room looked extravagantly decorated with red and green, thanks to Alice who'd visited a couple of times and couldn't stand how un-Christmasy my place looked.

"So when do you get time off for Christmas?" I'd assumed that Edward would be visiting home every time there was some kind of important event happening, but obviously things weren't all that simple.

On the screen, his face resembled that of a doctor attempting to tell a family that he'd done everything he could, but they'd still lost the patient.

_Oh God no. _

"No Christmas?" I choked out, as Edward's face only continued to twist in distaste.

"I only get two days off, and with the travel time to actually get to New Hampshire from Zürich, I'd literally only get a few hours there," I was sure that I looked a bit like he'd just ran over my dog, and his sigh only deepened.

"So am I, like, never going to see you?" I tried joking, looking down at my hands, only soon after realizing that I'd said something that I shouldn't have. _I'd_ given him my permission to go, knowing full well that this program was supposed to be rigorous, with little time off for us to see each other. This was something that he was enjoying, and here I was, complaining, and making him feel guilty for doing his _job_.

"I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated. I understand that this is what you have to do," I sounded much too robotic for my own liking, but thankfully, Edward's response was anything but annoyed.

"Don't apologize. I'm just as aggravated as you are… but I don't think dropping out at this point would be the best thing for me to do, as much as I'd love to come home," his voice was gentle, the only soothing thing about this entire conversation.

"Bella?" he was asking me for my full attention, since I'd pretty much continued to twiddle my thumbs, looking away from my laptop.

"Hmm?" I breathed, eyes flickering up to his, which unfortunately looked a lot more pixelated on screen. I'd been hoping I'd be seeing the real deal in a few weeks, but clearly, that couldn't be the case anymore.

"You know I love you, right?" he sounded so sincere, my heart just about wanted to leap out of my chest, as I bit my lip, nodding.

"I love you, too," I smiled, still feeling a rush of adrenaline every time the words fell out of my mouth.

"I'll talk to you later, alright? I'm just gonna head over to the lab to finish up some reports," he informed me, as I nodded, watching him collect his stuff, waving, and saying one last goodbye before ending the call.

* * *

"Boyfriend troubles?" Matthew slid into the chair across from mine in the cafeteria near the sociology department.

He'd been in a few of my classes for the past three years, but we'd pretty much only gotten to know each other when we'd been paired up for a forty-minute presentation this September.

I'd been hoping that the grey cloud hovering over me hadn't been obvious to everyone else, but apparently not.

"He's not coming home from Christmas, and I'm beginning to feel like this is going to be a repeating pattern for the next year - and who knows how long after that," I shut my eyes, opening them to his amber ones, that somewhat matched his sandy-coloured locks. He was just a bit taller than me, but still quite muscular. Personality-wise, he's really been a great friend to me in recent times.

I know what you're thinking: uh oh, am I moving on from Edward?

No.

No way in hell.

Matthew brought on emotions for me that I'd felt back when Jake and I had been best friends. I just felt comfortable around him; he was easy to talk to.

Rosalie and Alice were still my best friends, as well as their respective boyfriends, but ever since Emmett had asked Rosalie to be his new roommate, I'd begun to lean more so on Matthew's shoulder.

Not only were Rosalie and Alice getting pretty tired of all of my moping – though, bless them, they never really showed it – they also told their boyfriends everything. And their boyfriends told my boyfriend everything. Which meant that I couldn't complain to them about the distance as much as I wanted to, or else Edward would know, and again, feel guilty.

"Bella, you can't think like that. You have to stay positive. It's obvious that you're head over heels for the guy, what with the calls every day to him, and you never shutting _up_ about him," Matt rolled his eyes teasingly, but I still apologized, feeling like that annoying friend who couldn't talk about anything else except her boyfriend.

"Relax, I really don't mind," he reassured me, and it was probably the fact that he had absolutely no connection to Edward – and could therefore never tell my boyfriend what I was about to say – that caused me to blurt out:

"What if he's losing interest in me?"

Matt gave me a look that basically said 'Shut up'.

"You have to be joking, Bells. First of all, what makes you think that a guy who calls you every day is getting bored of you?" he quirked an eyebrow towards me, as I let out a loud sigh.

"But the calls keep getting shorter. He always has other things to do, and yes, I know that he's a medical intern, so that's understandable. But… what if he's just making excuses? What if he's just trying to buy time to end things with me?" even to me, it seemed like crazy talk, but it _was_ a possibility.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he made exaggerated hand motions, staring me down.

"Are you naturally this insecure?" his eyes widened, as I bit into my cheese sandwich, realizing that it was getting cold.

"Unfortunately, yes," I answered, looking back towards him, as he looked adamant.

"Well, it's gotta stop. Edward is in love with you. How many times has he told you that? Probably too many to count, right?" Matt answered his own question, as I gave a reluctant nod.

"Well then, you need to start believing him."

It was easier said than done.

* * *

Things just progressively went downhill from there.

Even after the multiple confidence-building talks with Matthew, I was still struggling to believe that Edward was just as much invested in this relationship as I was. I was getting scared. I was beginning to panic.

"Okay, I've been ignoring this for the past couple of weeks, but I really can't take it anymore. What's going on, Bella?" Edward sounded like he was on the verge of insanity, as I remained lost in my thoughts, snapping out of it when I heard his tone of voice.

"What?" I pretended not to have a clue as to what he was referring to, as his eyes narrowed.

"Bella, we've been together for almost a year now. I know when something's bothering you, and something is definitely on your mind," he was completely focused on the screen now, and rather than pay attention to the fact that he wanted me to tell him what was going on, the only words that replayed in my mind were 'we've been together for almost a year now'.

Had it really been that long already?

We'd started going out in February, and the Christmas was just a couple of days away, marking ten months since we'd been together.

_And just with one conversation, all of that was going to change. _

"Edward, do you think this is going to work out?" the words rushed out of my mouth.

"We haven't seen each other since July. I just feel like things aren't happening the way I expected them to," I cleared my throat, looking at the screen, but not at him.

"I was really hoping that things wouldn't come to this," he murmured. _So he'd been thinking about it, too? _

"Bella, I know things are way more difficult than we both anticipated, but I promise I'll try harder. It's just that getting enough time off to fly to you is problematic. And work is… stressful."

"I know," I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, "I'm not trying to pin this on you. That's what I'm saying: we both have so much on our plate, I don't feel like either of us are getting enough time for each other," _just finish it, Bella, finish it_.

I wanted to bite my tongue, take everything back. Tell him that we could make it, if we both put in more effort. But even if the main reason for this entire conversation was the fact that I was a little scaredy-cat who was afraid of getting hurt when he eventually found someone else, my school work had also been getting a little hectic to balance.

Okay, I really _was_ just worried about him wanting to break up with me, and I (selfishly) wanted to be the one to do it first, on my own terms.

_Don't think about it, Bella._

If I thought about it, I'd realize that I was making the biggest mistake of my life by letting him go. I'd think about the repercussions of my decision. Right now, I had to focus on what I was preventing: heartache.

"We've made it over four months, can't we make it the next eight?" Edward was trying to be the voice of reason, but I could tell that he was struggling to try to come up with more incentive. _I was right. He wants to let me go. _

"But then, what happens after that? You get another incredible opportunity away from me, and everything starts over," I was speaking the truth, and at that point, Edward looked like he wanted to say something, but seeing my face, he stopped himself.

He could tell that this wasn't easy for me to say, and that I'd really given it a lot of thought already. This wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision. Honestly, if it weren't for Matthew trying to convince me that Edward and I were made for each other, I would've had this conversation with him sooner.

I was just getting much too anxious for my own good, and I knew that if I told Edward about this – the real reasons behind this breaking off - things wouldn't really get resolved unless he moved back here, and I didn't want to be the reason behind him leaving the program halfway through.

"At least, this way, we could both try to move on. We don't have to be tied down," I didn't even feel like I was processing the words coming out of my mouth. I was trying to make this about us, but I really meant him. At least he could move on, and I could somehow survive. I didn't want him to be tied down to me, which I felt he was.

"If this is what you want," he breathed out, looking unfocused.

"I can't change your mind?" his face had lost all of the colour; I wasn't even looking at the screen now.

_It's done. _

I shook my head, "No, it's for the best. For both of us." I forced a smile.

"This is what I wanted to avoid," I could hear the strain in Edward's voice, and I was pushing myself to tune him out. Hearing the pain in his voice was making me doubt my decision. But the signs were all there that he was alright with this. He wasn't fighting for our relationship; he was accepting my decision. He was letting me go.

"I know," I managed to get out.

Again, I wanted to take everything back. But I couldn't. I couldn't keep feeling like he had better things to do than spend time with me – because he did. And I was just an unnecessary distraction. He needed to focus on himself and his job right now, and I was just preventing him from maximizing the experience.

And there was the fact that I kept freaking myself out by thinking that he was going to find someone new. I just couldn't keep living in a state of constant unease.

I just had to keep thinking to myself that I was doing both of us a favour. Edward was easily going to move onto someone else or move onto greener pastures, and I needed to learn to be okay with that.

"I'm sorry," I meant it – wholeheartedly – but all he could do was remain silent.

"I'm sorry, too," he cleared his throat, and for a few more seconds, we both looked away from the screen, a sort of heaviness falling between the two of us.

"I'll um, I – goodnight, Bella," he was struggling to find a way to end this on a lighter note, and I could only crack a small smile at his attempts.

"Goodnight, Edward," and with that, I ended the call, shell-shocked.

For a moment, my finger hovered over the keypad, wanting to click the 'Call' button once more, and laugh the whole thing off: "Just kidding, Edward! I can still hold on to this. I don't want to let you go. I'm just not sure you feel the same way. Tell me you feel the same way."

But I somehow found it in myself to keep from doing just that.

It was true; I could hold on. I could wait years for him. But I was beginning to feel like he couldn't do the same.

* * *

Edward 

I imagined that getting shot multiple times in the chest would be less painful than hearing those words come out of her mouth.

I'd known that it was a possibility – that she wouldn't be able to handle the long-distance relationship – but I'd still allowed myself that optimism that things could work out.

I couldn't force her to stay in this, if she didn't want it anymore – if she didn't think it was worth it anymore.

It just killed me to know that she wanted to move on: _We don't have to be tied down. _It was obvious that she meant she wanted to have the option of seeing someone else.

We weren't getting enough time for one another. Maybe she was getting close to someone else.

Both of my hands went to my hair, pulling the strands back, feeling my breaths coming out shaky and entirely unlike me.

She didn't want this anymore; she didn't want me anymore.

I had to be okay with that. I had to respect her wishes.

_How didn't I see the signs sooner?_

She'd begun to look pained any time my face had appeared on the screen. This was probably something she'd wanted to discuss for a while now, but had just been waiting on a good time to break the news to me.

I just hated the fact that it was the stupid distance that was the cause of all of this. I should've just stayed in New Hampshire with her. I was quickly beginning to realize that she meant more to me than any internship ever could.

I was tempted to call her back; tell her that I'd be taking the soonest flight back home from Switzerland, and that we'd no longer have to deal with this awful time difference, and the frantic schedules. That had been my plan at least; to surprise her for Christmas. I wasn't actually getting two days off - the program allotted me a full week off. I would've been spending the entire week in New Hampshire - but now, the thought of going back there was making me nauseous.

_But what if the distance wasn't the problem? What if her feelings had simply changed, and this was a way of letting me down easy?_

My hand froze in its movement, my breaths now coming out forcibly.

I shut my eyes; the only thing racing through my mind was how much I regretted leaving her in the first place. I hated the way things were unraveling before my eyes, and how I felt like I had no control over the situation. It was like a physical blow to the stomach, realizing that something so precious to me had just disappeared like that in a flash.

_Why did life have to be such a mess? _

With one last shake of my head, I forced myself to return to my work, finding it somewhat easier to stop thinking about letting go of the best thing that had ever happened to me. I couldn't convince her to stay with me – I _shouldn't_ convince her. If she wanted to get on with her life without me in the picture, I had to let her if I truly loved her.

And that's what I continued to do. For the rest of my time in Switzerland, I dedicated every waking moment to my program and my huge research project that was due at the end of the internship. It distracted me from dwelling too much on how much I missed her beautiful brown eyes, and her radiant smile, and her flowing mahogany hair that always smelt of strawberries.

But things never truly got easier.

* * *

**A/N: The end. **

**Hahahahaha just kidding! You guys should know me better than that. **

**So, we've established the fact that Bella is a complete fool. *sigh* We've really got to work on her self-confidence issues, huh?**

**Anyway! I missed you guys. I missed writing, and I hope you guys still enjoyed the chapter regardless of the breakup. Feel free to drop me a review! The next chapter will hopefully be rolling in next week :) **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: 537 reviews. Over 500 reviews on this story. I'm in shock. You guys are incredible. **

**So uh… I'm unbelievably grateful for the quantity &amp; quality of the reviews that I received for the last chapter! I really enjoyed reading all of your opinions on their break-up, especially hearing your views about who was in the wrong (personally, I think they both were!). **

**Thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter: **_**Marlene3658, Libertied Insanity, sujari6, TwilightAddict7, Matthias Stormcrow, xxxbullettxxx, Bugsmamawolf, Motherof8, michael . vandebroek, pandorazul, Em2017, LizziePaige, TwilighterSam1989, Lililovingreading, cbmorefie, leinchen, kidnurse123, jryu0620, twiannfav, EriksAngeldeMuscia, 2brown-eyes, NinjaTurtles909, Yali . Page, Lunacat247, jansails**_**, and 11 **_**Guests**_**. **

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* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

* * *

Chapter 23

Bella 

"I still think you're an idiot," Matt shook his head at me, even after I'd explained myself. I firmly believed that I'd made the right decision, and he strongly disagreed.

"It'll hit you in about a week, or so," he pursed his lips, still looking like a disappointed parent as I sipped on my orange juice.

Two days.

That's how long it took for everything to finally sink in.

It all just compounded, one thing after the other. It was the end of our daily Skype calls. I'd reassured myself that things would be easier now; I didn't have to worry about Edward finding someone else and leaving me behind in the dust. The video calls had been the root of my insecurities; as they'd gotten shorter and shorter, I'd felt the distance between us growing.

I'd led myself to believe that things would be better now.

But naturally, that had been a total lie. The calls to Edward had meant everything to me. Hearing his voice, seeing his smiling face for those few minutes a day had meant the world to me, it _had_ made a difference, but comparing Skype calls to the real deal had been my mistake.

Then it was the casual every day encounters with acquaintances – Edward's and mine – asking how he was, and how we were doing, and the awkward, pitiful stares when I eventually coughed the words out: "We, um, actually, broke up."

The worst of it all was my friends.

"Bella, call him back right now," Rosalie had said at the same time that Alice had blurted: "Are you _insane_?"

"No, I'm perfectly sane, thank you for your concern," I'd rolled my eyes, attempting to brush the whole thing off, but really, their words had felt like another knife in the stomach, gutting me and making me question the whole reason I'd done this.

And every time, I'd come right back to the same answer: to prevent heartbreak.

Once I kept reinforcing the idea that I was doing myself a favour, I could hold my own against Rosalie, Alice, and Matt, who never let up, even after a month had gone by. It was almost more painful to deal with them than my mother - who had been horrified when I'd broken the news to her during her Christmas visit. The remainder of her time here – you could guess – had passed excruciatingly slowly.

"I hope you know that you've made the stupidest decision of your life. Bella, I am still trying to grasp why you ended things. You two were perfect for each other, and you both knew it," Rosalie shook her head, her eyes looking dark and misty grey.

"You met each other's parents, for crying out loud. That had to have meant _something_. You were serious about him. This wasn't just a fling, for _either of you_," Alice enunciated.

"But I can't help but think that it was, to him. I just don't know anymore. He said he loved me, and I believed him. I could see it in his eyes that he meant it. But why didn't he fight for me? For us?"

My voice cracked, and I attempted to regain my composure before I allowed myself to crumble, "I could feel him slipping away from me. I could feel myself becoming a hindrance. I just couldn't stand that anymore," I pressed a hand to my forehead, feeling my breath hitch, as two pairs of arms wrapped around me, engulfing me in a hug that did little to ease what I felt.

Things didn't get much easier after that. Day by day I felt the space in my chest expanding, almost making it difficult to breathe sometimes.

But I didn't want to let anyone know that. I didn't want them to know that I was beginning to feel like I had screwed things up majorly. So I kept things bottled up, which was unhealthy, and I knew it.

Emmett and Jasper just added fuel to their respective girlfriend's fire.

"Bella, why would you do this to yourself?" Jasper shook his head at me one evening when the five of us had decided to have a homemade meal together – I'd pretty much salvaged what I could of that disaster, which my friends had insisted they help with.

Meanwhile, the rest of our friends were having a blast rewatching _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_, as I let my shoulders slump.

"Listen, I can't really know for sure what's running through your mind, or what caused you to suddenly make a decision like that. But I saw you two together. Bella, it was _real_. So, if it's really the distance that was getting to be too much for you two, I'll leave it be. But if it's you being insecure, you should know that Edward loves you unconditionally. He misses you," Jasper continued, as I finished packing away the rest of the washed dishes into the cupboards.

There was a swish of the kitchen door as Emmett waltzed in, heading straight for the fridge, rubbing his stomach absentmindedly in the process.

I looked away, my eyes trailing back to Jasper's somber expression, only really holding onto one thing that he'd said, "He said that?"

"What?" Jasper wrinkled his eyebrows, before catching on, "That he misses you?"

I gave a short nod, as Jasper's lips stretched into a small smile, "He's been throwing himself into his work, but in the times where he actually takes a step back…"

Now, he shook his head, and I felt as though a hand was slowly closing around my heart, "He looks… Well, he doesn't look like himself. It's almost like I'm watching a ghost on the screen. He says that he understands why you broke up with him, but I can see that he's still confused about it."

We both jumped as the fridge slammed shut in the silence, and Emmett let out a deep exhale.

"Bella, I love you like a sister, which is why I want you to know that you're being selfish. You say you love him, yet you don't think about _his_ feelings when you suddenly end things. Jasper's trying to break it to you lightly, but Edward looks _dead_. I want my old friend back, and I want you two to be happy again."

"And I'm not putting all of the blame on you, I think he's an _idiot_ for just accepting the break up so easily, but I also think it's because of his deep-rooted insecurities, which you probably know about. You know, girls using him for his looks and then getting bored of him when enough time passed."

My mouth was hanging open slightly, eyebrows raised, and I could feel my pulse beating in my ears.

Seeing my face, Emmett's expression softened greatly, and he walked over to envelop me in one of his signature bear hugs, obviously feeling guilty for just springing all of that on me.

But I wasn't sorry that he'd said all of that. Without Emmett and Jasper, I wouldn't have even known how Edward was handling everything. I'd assumed he would've easily moved on, but I really needed to learn that assuming wasn't going to get me anywhere.

"You're unhappy, Bella. Just stop lying to yourself, and fight for him," he patted me on the back, before pulling away and holding me at arm's length, gauging my reaction – a mixture of mild shock that everyone could see through my charade so effortlessly.

It was almost like plunging my body into an ice bath – a wake-up call.

But I felt like so much time had passed already – it'd been well over two months since that fateful Skype call – and I wasn't sure if he'd take me back with open arms, even after I'd admitted how utterly moronic I'd been.

I didn't feel like 'Sorry' was enough to bandage the wounds I'd opened up in him.

So, I held back.

Rather than do the smart thing and ask my friends for advice on how to get him back into my life, I simply continued to allow more time to pass, until that hole inside of me became almost unbearable.

* * *

"What is keeping you from calling him?" Matt practically yelled out in frustration, relieved that I'd understood the error of my ways, but annoyed that I couldn't man up and actually call Edward.

"It's harder than it looks. And it just feels so _weird_ to do this over a call. What am I supposed to say: 'Oh hey, Edward. I've only just realized that I probably should've talked things through with you before deciding to end our relationship. So, yeah. Take me back?'" I narrowed my eyes at my good friend, who in turn, rolled his eyes at me.

"You're making this so difficult. I should've asked Rosalie and Alice to come as back up. Or Emmett and Jasper," his dark blonde eyebrows rose.

"Yeah, but you didn't because they all have lives. And so do we - we're _supposed_ to be working on a project, remember?" I attempted to veer the conversation back to the initial reason he was even in my apartment right now.

"We have more important things to worry about, right now. Urbanization can wait, trust me," he waved the whole thing off.

"I seriously don't understand why you're so devoted to my relationship life," I really didn't, and I'd failed to ask this golden question until now.

"Because you're my friend, Bella. And love – actual, real love – is pretty rare to come by these days. You're lucky to have found it in Edward. And you're stupid to have thrown it away," at this point, I was only on the verge of calling Edward just so that I wouldn't have to hear any of my friends call me 'stupid' ever again.

"If you do this…. if you call Edward…" he took a deep breath, "I will ask Lindsey to go out with me the next time I see her."

Lindsey was studying environmental science at Dartmouth, and Matt had started to crush on her big time when he'd gotten introduced to her at one of his friend's parties. He hadn't had the courage to ask her for her phone number, let alone on a date, but he'd had numerous opportunities.

She had mutual friends, and was therefore at every social gathering that he attended – not to mention the fact that he always spotted her on campus, having lunch, or a simple walk through the park.

Basically, it was a big deal that he was bartering this.

"It's not the same," I made a face, looking at the home screen of the Skype application, seeing Edward's name in my recent contacts.

Matt clicked on it, hovering the mouse over the 'Call' button, and I pretty much freak out.

"No, I'm not ready," I shook my head fervently, attempting to push him away from my keyboard, and in the process, he managed to click the keypad, making me screech as I heard the familiar ringing sound fill the room.

"Yes, you are," he steadied himself, grasping my hands, which were furiously trying to hit the 'End Call' button, as the ringing stopped and my throat closed up.

"Bella?" the sound filled my ears like music, and I slowly began to lift my eyes towards the screen, feeling _so many_ things upon meeting that concern-filled gaze of his.

It was like I couldn't get my voice to work, no matter how much my mouth began to move.

Matt decided that it would be a good time to try to prompt me into saying what I needed to say, as Edward's green eyes fluttered between my male friend, and me.

"Edward, we haven't officially met. I'm Matt, it's good to finally get a chance to talk to you," he gave a polite smile as Edward's eyebrows only continued to furrow in confusion as to what the purpose of this call had been.

"Anyway, this isn't about me. Bella has something that she'd really like to tell you," he turned towards me, giving me the nudge he thought I needed. Turns out I was going to be needing a lot more than a nudge to tell Edward about everything.

"I have to go. Bye," the words rushed out of my mouth before I had time to think it though, as I clicked 'End Call', letting out a long, exaggerated breath. For a long time I stared at the blank screen.

"Don't say a word," I shut my eyes, placing my palm to my forehead, already feeling the words bubbling at Matt's lips.

"Wasn't going to," he sighed, obviously disappointed that his idea had failed miserably.

* * *

Matt

The saying was right: desperate times called for desperate measures.

I'd really hoped and even allowed myself to believe that the Skype call to Edward would've gone beautifully. First, I would've jumpstarted the conversation, then eventually left the room when Bella had gotten the ball rolling. But obviously, none of that had happened.

She was pretty far gone.

"Guys, we have to do something about this Bella-Edward situation," I'd merged four calls into one so that Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper were all on the line with me.

"Here, here," Emmett muttered, understanding completely where I was coming from, as well as the others who soon voiced their agreement.

"So… what's the plan?"

* * *

Bella

About two weeks had passed since that disaster of a Skype call, and I'd been so absolutely mortified by it that I couldn't even open the application anymore- whereas before, I'd pathetically open it up to scroll through our past chats with one another.

I'd expected Matt to be unrelenting about the whole thing, pushing me to get out of my comfort zone and make the call.

But none of that ever came.

There were the occasional snippy comments from him, and the rest of my friends, but surprisingly, things had mellowed.

And instead of feeling relieved that all of this pressure had been lifted off of me, I felt even more nervous. It felt a bit like they had pegged me as a lost cause. And even though a few months ago, I would've taken that with open arms, now that I was actually willing to put up a fight for Edward, they'd just given up.

But again, it was my fault for waiting so long, and now the motivation to do anything about the whole 'getting-Edward-back' situation was dwindling.

And then I thought back to the beginning: to that first accidental text; to that first glimpse of him at the café, allowing myself to be carried through these memories, one after the other, each image bringing on a whole new wave of emotions – all familiar, yet somehow, new.

By the end of it, I felt… different. I guess it was the final realization that I had really, truly messed up - that I had doubted his feelings when they shouldn't have been questioned. Or even if his behavior _had_ really been suspicious, I should've initiated a conversation, not just jumped right into a breakup.

_What am I going to do?_

Breaking me out of my headache-inducing thoughts was a phone call from Matthew.

"What are you doing?"

I shrugged, before realizing that he couldn't see me: "Nothing at all. I'm just –"

I took a deep breath, collecting my thoughts, before clearing my throat, "I think it's time I called Edward. I can't let this go on any longer." It needed to be said and done.

I heard a sharp intake on the other line, before I forged on, "But I think I need you for moral support. I don't know how I'm gonna start the conversation."

"I'll be there in twenty. I am… so proud of you. I mean, it took a while, but you're finally shedding your wimpy ways," I could almost picture him clapping on the other line as my eyes rolled on their own accord.

"Shut up. And try to hurry it up, please? Before I start overthinking this," I was already starting to feel jittery, which Matt picked up on.

"I am on my way. Just relax, Bella. Go make yourself a cup of tea. Read a book. I'll be there soon," he assured me, as I heard a set of keys being picked up, accompanied by the slamming of a door.

"Thank you," I meant it, sincerely, and he knew that. Then I proceeded to end the call, sitting on the couch for a bit longer as my thoughts simmered, and before my mind could begin racing once again, I shook myself out of it.

I would follow Matt's helpful instructions, turning on the kettle and allowing a cup of water to boil for my soothing green tea that would hopefully alleviate the stress currently building up in my body.

I had to calm down.

It was a Skype call for crying out loud.

I could literally look away from the screen, or end the call if the going got tough – which I hoped it wouldn't.

Still, I couldn't shove down this anxiety building up inside of my chest.

* * *

One cup of green tea and forty pages later, I was beginning to get antsy once more, deciding that an episode of _Friends_ would surely raise my spirits as I continued to wait for Matthew's imminent arrival.

I was right. Five minutes into the show and I was trying hard to contain my laughter, and I was almost disappointed when I heard a solid knock at the door.

"Well, finally," I muttered.

Hopping off of the leather sofa, I began to speed walk to the door before Matt went on a knocking spree – he had a tendency to get impatient.

"You kind of have awful timing, it was just getting to my favorite part…" slowly, my voice began to die away, being replaced with breathing on the verge of hyperventilation as my eyes focused on the figure in front of me.

Because instead of meeting Matthew's familiar amber eyes and sandy hair, or his strangely robust build for someone who was only a couple of inches taller than me, I saw a pair of emerald eyes, bronze hair – that I knew for a fact was silky smooth to the touch – and someone who towered over me, so much so that I had to tilt my head upwards to make eye contact.

I closed my eyes briefly, hoping to God that all of this thinking about Edward hadn't generated some messed up hallucination of him.

"Are you alright?" nope, no way in hell could I be fantasizing because his voice sounds just as deep and velvety as I'd remembered.

My eyes flew open, and unconsciously, I staggered backwards, freezing when I felt a pair of arms steadying me at the shoulder.

"So I guess one thing hasn't changed," the sound of his chuckle was almost too much for me – my body was taking forever to recover from the shock.

"Edward… what are you doing here?" I breathed out.

* * *

**A/N: Since I already wrote a long enough A/N at the beginning of the chapter, I'll keep this one short and sweet. **

**Thoughts?**

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**Thank you!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of the alerts and favourites!**

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 24

Bella 

"Edward… what are you doing here?" I breathed out, still feeling a bit like I'd been given the biggest shock of my life. He was supposed to be in Switzerland… what on Earth was he doing back in New Hampshire? At my front door of all places?

He took less than a few seconds to answer, and though he tried to mask it, he was definitely battling bad nerves, "I needed to talk to you. About… well, everything," he shrugged, cocking his head to the side and taking a peep inside. "Unless I'm interrupting something." His nervous demeanor turned even more uncomfortable before I shook my head – both in answer to him, and to clear my head.

"No, um, come in," my voice went a bit high-pitched towards the end, and Edward pretended not to notice, as he smiled politely – I can't even begin to tell you how it felt to receive that smile instead of my favorite crooked one - walking through the entrance.

I continued to stare outside the door, before taking a deep breath and slowly shutting it.

He wanted to talk. About us.

My hands were beginning to feel clammy in anticipation of the conversation that was about to come. I didn't know what to expect. I had no idea how he would react to my confession – if he'd accept it, if he'd reject it, if he wouldn't be able to comprehend it.

I settled on the leather sofa I'd comfortably been watching _Friends_ on just a few minutes earlier.

It was amazing how a few minutes could change a situation so drastically.

Edward took a seat on the loveseat to the left of me, lacing his fingers together as his head tilted downward, and his jaw locked in deep thought. I had no doubt that he was thinking of a way to begin what he'd come here to say, or find out.

He sighed, dark green eyes settling on me, "What happened to us?"

I'd expected the question, but all the same, I gave him the most generic answer in the book, "We drifted apart." It was partially true – except for the fact that I'd been the one who'd put that distance between us when it didn't need to be there.

He shook his head vigorously, exhaling, "I'm not satisfied with that as an answer. Not anymore. What really happened?" That's why it had been so easy to end things over a Skype call: Edward couldn't see through my lies as easily on camera as he could in real life.

"It just became too much for me. I kept second guessing everything, and I hated feeling like I was going to lose you. So before you could break up with me, I decided to end things for myself," I looked down at my lap, "and yes, I've realized by now how selfish that decision was."

I chanced a glance towards his face, surprised that instead of seeing anger, I faced an expression filled with enlightenment, "_That's_ why? You thought I wanted to break up with you?" Now, a hint of frustration pushed its way into his tone of voice.

"Bella, not once did I ever want things to end between us. Not once did my feelings for you waver. Why would you even think that?" he seemed troubled about the whole thing. I remained silent, not yet knowing how to word my answer, when he continued.

"Did I get too busy? Was that what it was?" I could tell he was busting his brain trying to understand where I was coming from, and honestly, it was making me feel ten times guiltier that I'd chosen to end things.

"I guess it sounds stupid now, but at the time, I felt like you had better things to do. Better people to meet…"

I left the sentence hanging there, not wanting to have to spell it out for him, and thanking the Heavens that I didn't need to – he caught on quickly.

"So that was it, then? You thought I was going to become interested in someone else?"

I tensed up, trying to relax, "You deserved someone so much better than me. I wanted that to happen on my own terms. I didn't feel like things between us were happening the way I wanted them to. I just kept worrying that you were getting bored."

"You thought _I_ was getting bored," he whispered to himself, shaking his head, as if he was only now beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle together as to what my thought process had been.

He let out a low chuckle, "I was under the impression that _you_ were interested in someone else. When you said that you wanted us to be able to move on and not be tied down to this relationship, I thought you were referring to yourself," he let out a groan.

Now, it was my turn to be startled by his words.

It definitely gave me to drive to forge on, "I had faith in us, in the beginning. But I read way too much into things, and it just spiraled out of control for me. I just kept thinking that you were losing interest, even though I guess you weren't," I wanted to reach out and grasp his hand, take away some of the defeat he was feeling, but I was afraid I was out of my bounds.

"God, if I'd only flown out here sooner, we could've talked this through. I knew I shouldn't have cancelled those tickets," he muttered to himself as my eyebrows furrowed slightly, wondering what he was going on about.

"What tickets?"

His eyes widened fractionally, obviously not meaning for me to have heard that last part, and my curiosity only grew.

"I was, um," he breathed, "I was planning to surprise you for Christmas before all of this had happened. If I'd figured out that my staying away was the whole problem, I would've kept them and flown here and worked this out sooner. I should've kept them." His eyes filled with regret as his fingers ran through his hair – that familiar, heart-racing trait of his.

"Edward, why are you blaming yourself? This is all on me," now I was beginning to feel frustrated at the turn this conversation was taking. "It's my fault that you cancelled those tickets. I shouldn't have been so rash, I just… I had no idea. God, I'm so stupid," I tucked my face into my hands.

I had really believed that we were never going to get time to see each other, but if only I'd waited a few more weeks…

I thought I'd been doing us both a favour by ending things, but clearly, it'd only screwed with our minds.

"But I should've fought harder for you. I just allowed you to end the call. I should've called back. I should've told you how I felt. And I shouldn't have just given up when all was said and done. But I guess I had similar feelings that you could find someone else, and well I guess you did."

Now _that_ caught my attention. "What are you talking about?" laughing a bit, I wondered who he thought I had my eyes on, when there was literally no one else that I wanted but him.

"You were expecting someone else when I knocked your door. I assumed it was that guy you introduced me to on that Skype call a few weeks ago. You two seem… happy," I could tell he was forcing the words out of his mouth, as my eyebrows practically raised to my hairline.

He thought I was dating _Matt_? Matt, of all people?

Then, I made a face, thinking back to that fateful Skype call, and realizing that we both had failed to make the distinction that Matt was my friend, and nothing more. I hadn't exactly put a label on him, and by ending the call before we'd actually gotten to discuss the purpose of the call, that had led Edward to believe that I was just introducing him to my new boy toy – which was very twisted and unlike me, but I guess he couldn't have known.

That definitely explained the tension between us right now – which was thicker than I'd expected.

"Okay, ew. Um, that was my _friend_, Matt. We're not dating, not even close. The whole reason I'd even Skyped you that day was because he was trying to get me to have this conversation with you that we're having right now, and admit that I'd made a really big mistake. I actually asked him to come over today because I'd decided that I was ready to talk to you, but I thought I needed a bit of support." I pursed my lips, realizing that Matt had still failed to show up, and something about that just wasn't adding up – but I'd get to the bottom of it eventually.

For now, I had to make it clear to Edward that I was in no way interested in Matthew.

"Matt, who I have zero romantic feelings for, and who actually, was really rooting for you and I to make it through the year. But I guess I kinda screwed everyone up with that, didn't I?" I laughed humorlessly as Edward's eyes lit up, seeming relieved to be hearing all of this information about Matt and me.

"A little," he smiled, and my heart literally skipped a beat seeing one side of his mouth pull up higher than the other side in that infamous lopsided grin of his. My breathing almost stopped.

Almost.

Then, I began to gather my bearings, smiling back a little, as the two of us continued to gaze at one another.

Edward was the first to break the staring contest, sweeping his eyes across my apartment, "So you live here alone now?" He began to stand up, casually walking around and observing all of my furniture, which he'd definitely already seen before.

"Well, you know, Rose moved out to live with Emmett when things got serious between them," I wondered why he was starting all of this small talk when he'd already known this information.

"That's a bit unsafe, though. Why didn't you look for another roommate?" he took a look inside Rose's old bedroom, and now I connected the dots – he was worried about me being lonely. I smiled a bit at his concern, shaking my head.

"I just wanted one person, but he was in Switzerland at the time," I blurted out, immediately shutting my mouth thereafter, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks as I ducked my head down. _Where the heck did that come from, Swan?_

"That's a shame," he responded, seemingly unfazed by my slip-up, and when my eyes ventured to meet his, I noted that they looked… alive. I'd known that there was something about his appearance that had been putting me off, and only then did I realize that the usual spark in his eyes had dulled to nothing but a small glimmer. Until now.

"Is the offer still available?"

And I was definitely not expecting those words to spring out of his mouth.

"Edward…" I began, giving him a look. He couldn't just pack up and leave Switzerland after all of this time because of my insecurities – it was something that I personally needed to work on. I couldn't let him move back because I was lacking self-esteem.

"No, don't do that. The last time you let me go, it resulted in me losing the best thing that has ever happened to me," his voice had lowered as he inched closer to me, his emerald eyes melting into my own.

"But what about the program in Zürich? I can't take that away from you," I really didn't want him missing out on this opportunity just to stay close to me. I mean, the gesture was sweet, but he shouldn't be doing this.

"There'll be other programs. It's not the end of the world. I can easily get a job in New Hampshire, close to you. I know you mean well, but I've already made up my mind and you can't change it. I know how it felt being away from you, and I don't want to have to go back to that life. We can't possibly mend this relationship if we're thousands of miles apart," he was insisting that I listen to him, and I felt relief in knowing that he still wanted us to _have_ a relationship.

"I just don't want you to regret choosing me over Switzerland," I hated to say it out loud, but it was true. It was how I felt, and I needed him to know that that was the entire reason I'd been okay with him leaving in the first place.

Edward looked a bit like I'd slapped him across the face, "I could _never _regret choosing you over anything, especially not an internship." He waved the whole program off as if it wasn't anything prestigious at all.

"Look, I realized why this whole long-distance thing couldn't have worked out. One: it was a lot to ask of you so early in this relationship, when we're still getting to know each other, and how this relationship works. Two: we both have some serious insecurity issues that we could only possibly work out if we're with one another, and we can talk it through. Three: I love you, and frankly, being a couple of streets away from you was stressful enough - whole continents apart was really pushing it," he gave me a look of total solemnity as I laughed. On the inside, I was feeling like I'd won the lottery hearing those three words out of his mouth.

It felt pretty much like second nature for my hands to wrap around his neck, and for his hands to hold onto my waist, pressing our foreheads together.

For a few short moments, we stayed put, content with basking in each other's company for the first time in months.

"So can we admit that we were both stupid, and promise that we'll talk to each other if something doesn't feel right?" I suggested, looking towards him earnestly as his smile turned into a grin.

"You've got yourself a deal, Ms. Swan," he smiled cheekily, leaning closer, before hesitating.

I knew why he was pausing – he wasn't sure if he was moving too fast when we'd only literally just decided to get back together.

"We should take things slow," I reluctantly admitted, not a second later observing the plain look of disappointment washing over his face, though he tried to mask it.

"But then again… when have we ever played by the rules?" and with that, I tilted my head up, shutting my eyes as my lips met his – and I kid you not, it was almost like the first time we kissed, so surreal, I almost had to pinch myself to make sure this wasn't all a dream.

He pulled my body close to his, obviously delighted that I had changed my mind, but I noted that he was still being cautious, and so was I, and I knew then that it'd take some time before we could fully get back to the place that we were at before – physically and emotionally.

Still, I relished the feel of his smooth lips against mine, feeling breathless, yet feeling like this was the first time I was truly breathing in months. We couldn't seem to get enough of each other, and that was obvious when we both eventually pulled away, gasping, with swollen lips and vibrant eyes.

"You never answered my question," Edward cleared his throat after we'd both regained our composure, though my heart was still racing like a hummingbird's.

For a moment, I blinked at him, not able to connect what question he was referring to, until my eyes moved across the apartment, and it hit me.

"If he's interested, the offer's still available," I said, my voice shaking a bit, even though I had no reason to be nervous about his answer.

"I've always been interested, Bella."

* * *

I'd eventually flipped back on the TV as Edward and I gravitated towards the sofa. I was positioned beside him with my head settled on his shoulder, and my legs tucked to the side. His arm had immediately slung across my shoulder.

At one of the commercial breaks, I realized that there was still something that was nagging me at the back of my mind.

"I still feel like I'm missing part of this story. I know why you came, but why the sudden decision to fly here?" my eyebrows rose, because I had pretty much figured out that my friends had something to do with it.

For one, Matthew still hadn't arrived to my apartment, and a good hour had passed already. He had to have known that Edward was coming to meet me.

He bit the inside of his cheek, "I got a call from the others, who basically talked me into buying a ticket. The doubt had been there before – that you had truly wanted to end things – but they convinced me that I had to talk to you face-to-face, or we'd never be able to work things out. And they were right."

"So you booked your ticket a few weeks ago?" it was finally starting to make sense – why my friends had seemed to drop the subject of Edward so abruptly after that disastrous Skype call. Now, it made sense. It was all because they knew that in a few weeks' time, we'd be right here, together at last.

He nodded, "Yup, and I only just arrived a few hours ago."

So it had actually been a complete coincidence that I'd decided I was ready to talk to Edward on the exact same day that he had decided to come to New Hampshire.

I guess that higher power above works in strange and mysterious ways sometimes.

"Well it doesn't really matter anyway. I'm just indescribably happy you're here again," I beamed, planting my lips on his softly, feeling his smile against them.

"For good," he assured me. "The only way I could ever leave New Hampshire again is if you're coming with me. Okay, that sounds a little dramatic. But for now, I just want to be here, right next to you."

His thumb caressed my cheek, and I felt the back of my eyes prickle, taking a deep breath to reign in my emotions.

"I love you, Edward. So much," I sighed, "And I'm sorry for everything I put you through."

His jaw clenched, "In a way, I'm kind of glad all of that happened, so that we know what works for us, and what doesn't. And I want that to be your last apology to me on that whole matter, because I understand why you did what you did, and at least now we know how to deal with difficult situations in our relationship. With communication."

I gave a sharp nod, really wondering how the universe had created someone so incredible as Edward, and what force had attracted him to me.

Whatever it was, I was so grateful it was in effect, because now that he was back in my life, I was certain that there was nowhere else I'd want him to be than by my side.

Pulling me out of my thoughts and catching both of our attention was the opening tunes of the Universal Pictures ad, indicating that a movie was about to start playing.

A few seconds later and both of our jaws had dropped, turning to one another with goofy grins – low and behold, _Bridesmaids_ had just started.

"Well, we have to watch it," I stated matter-of-factly, leaving no room for debate between us, even though I knew Edward wouldn't say no given our history with this movie.

"Of course, love," was his reply, as he pulled me closer to him, keeping that same crooked grin on his face as my expression mirrored his.

If this wasn't a sign that things were going to look up for us, then I didn't know what was.

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**A/N: The end. For real, this time. I think that I've basically written all that I wanted to for this story (unless you guys can think of something else).**

**It has been such an amazing time writing this story and constantly communicating with you all about it. I'm aware that some of you might be disappointed with this chapter – I know a lot of people would've wanted more begging/effort on Bella's, and even Edward's part, but I'm sorry. This is just kind of the way I envisioned things to go. **

**I might write an epilogue if you guys are interested in one. Let me know in a review :) And let me know your thoughts on this chapter as well, even if they're not that pleasant. **

**I cannot thank you all enough for sticking with me through the late updates and all of that. I'm really happy that the majority of you enjoyed it!**

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I had so so many ideas of how this epilogue would go, but I hope you guys enjoy it. **

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. _

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Chapter 25

EPILOGUE

Bella

"You can set that down right there," I directed the movers to place the leather couch perpendicular to the loveseats on either side of the coffee table.

"And where do you want these boxes?" the older man asked, an underlying strain in his voice from the weight of the load in his hands. The label on the side indicated that they contained some of my books.

"You can set those down anywhere. I'll move them to the study when I get the chance," the man smiled gratefully as he walked over and placed them right at the foot of the wooden staircase.

"So, that's it, then?" the mover, Gary, took a look around the two-story house, before turning his questioning eyes on me, waiting to see if there was anything more he could assist me with.

"Yes, that's perfect. Thank you so much for your help," I handed him his fees, accompanied by a generous tip for the amount of work he and his men had done. We definitely wouldn't have been able to furnish this house in such a short space of time without the lot of them.

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Cullen. Have a good day," he waved, shuffling out his coworkers into the truck, just as a sleek, black Range Rover pulled into the driveway. The first thing that caught my attention was the bronze hair, trimmed, but in its usual disarray.

Next, my eyes fell upon a bouncing figure in the back, practically bursting out of the car seat. Beside that sat another car seat, the occupant of which remained still, only shifting slightly.

I stifled a giggle as Edward's green eyes met mine, giving me a look that read pure exhaustion. But the lopsided grin on his face outshone that.

I hopped down the steps from the front door, just as Edward was stepping out and closing the driver's side door, grasping my hand and pulling me to his chest, "I'm so happy to see you, my beautiful wife." He buried his face into my neck as I laughed heartily.

"It's been two hours," but still, the irregular thump of my heart indicated that his words meant more to me than I let on. We'd both left the condo – which we were still keeping even though we'd just officially moved houses - around two o'clock to run our own errands. To be fair, Edward had been at work for the majority of the morning, only getting to see me for a couple of minutes before we'd separated.

Even after six years of marriage, and about eight years of being in a relationship together (neither of us counted the breakup, as it was a time of insecurity and confusion that we had – obviously - since then, overcome), the sight and feel of him still sent a mixture of shivers and butterflies through me.

"Can someone _please_ get me out?" a muffled whine came from inside the car as Edward groaned and I giggled.

"I'm guessing the trip to the dentist was eventful?" I pulled away, giving him a peck on the lips as he sighed, "Oh, you have no idea."

Our four-year-old son, William, tended to get a bit overexcited when made to sit still for more than ten minutes. It was a bit like trying to contain the Energizer bunny in a car seat – almost impossible. The fact that Will was not only forced to sit through a trip to the dentist, but a trip to the grocery as well, was practically a disaster waiting to happen. If he couldn't move his body, he had to move his mouth to compensate.

He definitely had my mother's personality.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, had just turned two, and we could already tell that she would be the calm, collected one, going with the flow - whatever it was. Even right at this moment, she wasn't making a sound.

Her eyes, closed now, were light brown – almost hazel – while her hair was a curly, equally light brown with a few streaks of blond and auburn.

William, on the other hand, had dark brown hair and sea-green eyes – not quite as green as his father's.

In many ways, our children had gotten a true mix of Edward's genes and mine.

As soon as I managed to unbuckle the belt, William's squirming stopped, replaced with a bouncing action into my arms as I lifted him out of the car. Edward did the same with Elizabeth, who appeared to be sound asleep – God alone knows how she could've slept through her brother's babbling.

"Mommy, guess what?" he didn't give me time to guess, jumping straight into answering his own question, "Doctor Andrews said my teeth are squeaky clean, and that I've been a good boy for brushing and flossing every day!"

His voice raised an octave higher towards the end, and I quirked an eyebrow, shutting the door behind us, "Really? You see why it's so important that you continue doing that?"

"Mm-hmm," he nodded, leaning into me as Edward and I both crossed the threshold into our new home.

Located in suburban Barrington, Illinois, our house was definitely quite an upgrade to the three-bedroom condo we'd previously been in. It had a European touch to it, resembling a Second Empire Victorian structure, though not quite as extravagant as the other mansions in the neighborhood. Still, it had been a work in progress, taking just about a year to construct and fully furnish.

With expansive back and front yards, it was definitely a kid-friendly place to settle down in. The plus side: Rosalie and Emmett and their little munchkins – Lily, aged three, and Marcus, two - lived five minutes away. They'd gotten married a year after Edward and me, moving to California thereafter to build their careers. After some time working in a music production company, Emmett had decided to open his own studio near Chicago. Rosalie, on the other hand, was directing TV shows in the city.

Jasper and Alice had settled in Washington, where he had his own private practice in psychiatry, while Alice was working her way up in one of the bigger magazine companies. They had gotten married a year before Edward and me, and Alice had gotten pregnant almost instantly with a girl, Mary, who was now turning six. They were currently well on their way to having another girl.

Agreeing to marry Edward hadn't really felt like a rushed or sudden decision, seeing as I couldn't picture spending the rest of my life with anyone else. I'll admit, I _had_ been a bit wary to get engaged only a year after us getting back together. But we'd had that time to experience living together – enough time to learn some of each other's habits, and enough time to figure out just exactly what marriage was going to entail.

I liked to believe that the breakup had only been a small bump in our relationship – something that we both grew from. Lack of communication was no longer a problem with us – if anything, neither of us could stop talking to one another. (Maybe William hadn't gotten that from Renée, after all).

"Magnificent," was the single utterance from Edward's mouth as he observed the finished project. I felt William making a move to get out of my grasp, and upon setting him down on the tiled floors, he zoomed from room to room, inspecting the place like a prospective tenant.

The back of the house was made entirely of glass, while the rest was purely stonework. Although we'd seen the house post-construction already, we hadn't really gotten the time to appreciate it now that it was actually complete with all of the proper décor.

It was Saturday, and since I'd been working part-time at the office because of this home project, I'd gotten the day off from work to unpack the last of our things, as well as any new furniture that had now been delivered. Edward had been at the Cath Lab from eight o'clock in the morning, leaving just before two in the afternoon, having only two case – a patient requiring an angioplasty and another needing an angiogram. Edward had completed his training in becoming an interventional cardiologist a couple of months ago, currently working in the local hospital.

I was thankful that the long, arduous hours were over for him now, and he could safely say that he had a regular 9-5 job – sometimes less than that - just like me. Since finishing my degree at Dartmouth, I'd gone on to complete a Master's in Social Work, eventually obtaining my license to become a social worker; my specialty being medical health.

It was definitely an emotionally demanding job, but it was always worth it, knowing that I was helping someone in what little way I could. I'd mainly been tending to the geriatric sector, which was more manageable than pediatrics.

"We did a pretty good job, huh?" I bit my lip, referring to more than just the house, which I think Edward gathered. I meant the life we'd built for ourselves, as well as the family we'd created together.

"The best," he wrapped one arm around me, still holding Elizabeth in the other, planting his lips on mine, igniting a fire inside of me once making that contact.

Between work, tending to the kids, and checking up on the new house, we hadn't gotten any real time to be alone or fully enjoy one another. There had always been some kind of interruption.

But the kids were on vacation, and Edward and I were off work, and the house was finally finished…

"How about we call up dear Emmett and Rosalie and see if they could look after the kids for the night?" Edward lowered his voice into that incredibly husky tone of his, practically reading my mind.

And even though a night to ourselves was quite well-deserved, I still felt that maternal guilt with sending my kids to our friends' house for the night. It felt a bit like I was abandoning them; I needed that added reassurance that they wouldn't mind a sleepover.

"Will," I called out to him, hearing the pattering footsteps as he raced towards us, engulfing Edward's and my legs in a hug.

"Yes?" he looked up at us innocently with those curious eyes of his, causing my guilt to double seeing his sweet face.

"How would you feel spending the night by Uncle Emmett and Aunty Rose?" I wondered, gauging his expression for the slightest fraction of disappointment, which would promptly make me cancel this whole date night.

But unsurprisingly, his eyes lit up hearing their names, having grown quite attached to them, and their kids – especially their kids.

"Is Lily going to be there?" his eyebrows rose, as I turned to Edward, who had the faintest smirk on his face.

"You seem awfully excited to see Lily. Do you have a little crush on her?" immediately, Will pulled away from us, his cheeks flaming up – ah, another one of my traits – as he shook his head furiously. Every day was certainly a new adventure with William.

"No! No way! Girls are gross," he continued to shake his head as Elizabeth stirred awake in Edward's arms from all of our teasing and laughter. I passed my hand across her hair as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, giving a deep yawn, before observing her surroundings.

Edward planted a kiss on her nose as she beamed, and my heart exploded with warmth, as it always did seeing him interact with our kids.

He averted his eyes back to Will, "Yeah, okay. You say that now," grinning, he planted a kiss on my cheek as William folded his arms, clearly peeved that we had figured out his 'secret' crush, and obviously weren't going to let it go. I vividly remember getting annoyed with my own mother whenever she wouldn't drop a subject like this one, and yet, here I was now.

"I don't think Emmett will be too pleased about our son's feelings towards his daughter," Edward murmured as I hid my smile, already picturing the suspicious stares our friend had been throwing William ever since he'd hugged Lily goodbye a couple of months ago.

"Oh, he'll get over it. Rose thinks it's adorable," my lips tugged into a smile, remembering the conversation she'd had with me about her future plans to lead our kids into getting married so that we'd officially be related.

Which reminded me about the main subject of this whole conversation: I grabbed my cellphone out of my jeans pocket, dialing Rose's number without having to think about it. I felt excited myself once hearing her enthusiasm to have William and Elizabeth over for a play date with her kids, not even commenting on why we were dropping them off.

I was sure that Emmett would've made one too many innuendos hearing that Edward and I wanted to have the house to ourselves. Not that the innuendos would've been wrong.

"Okay, it's settled," I confirmed as Edward set Elizabeth down to fumble with her building blocks. "Could you get Will and Liz cleaned up? I'll start getting dinner ready."

"Of course," he bent down, grasping Elizabeth's hand, while William trailed behind, grasping Edward's pants.

* * *

Like a proper date, after Edward had dropped the kids off, he'd put on a movie in the living room, throwing his arm around me as I leaned my head against his shoulder, only partially focusing my attention on the film we were watching.

Edward kept stroking the bare skin of my neck, planting searing kisses along my collarbone, pretty much distracting me to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore.

In one swift motion, I pulled his face from my neck so that his mouth could meet mine, feeling his warm lips move slowly before quickening the pace as his tongue sneaked its ways through my mouth. It wasn't long until his hands were around my waist, lifting my body so that I was straddling him on the couch, still attached at the lips as he began shifting the chiffon shirt off my shoulders.

I smiled against his lips, threading my fingers through his hair, knowing just how much that drove him crazy. It drove _me_ crazy hearing him groan against my lips.

Then, before we could go any further than that, I pulled away, shifting off of him and the couch, meeting his very confused, very cute gaze.

Simply, I made a motion with my head towards the stairs, which he caught onto immediately, jumping up. He laced his fingers through mine as we both practically ran to the bedroom, laughing the entire way.

Once the door was shut – for no apparent reason, seeing as we were completely alone – Edward continued from where he'd left off, pulling my shirt down my torso, unbuttoning my jeans, and shifting them down with my help.

It didn't take particularly long between our heated kisses and fumbled but practiced movements for both of us to be completely undressed. It still blew my mind how absolutely chiseled ever inch of his body was – from his biceps to his toned abs and calves. In my eyes, the years had done him well, making him even more attractive in my mind. Thirty-three had never looked so good.

Having Rosalie as my gym partner had motivated me to drop the weight that I'd gained after having Elizabeth, and even though I knew it didn't matter to Edward whether I was super slender or not, it still made me flattered to this day the way his eyes fell on me like it was the first time.

Somehow, we both managed to tear our eyes away from each other long enough to collide once more, ending up on the bed.

And I swear to you, every single time it happened, it got better. Somehow.

Neither of us ever wanted to stop, no matter how drained our bodies felt afterwards. There was too much adrenaline pumping through our veins for us to feel tired.

But we did end up snuggled against each other eventually, sleeping peacefully until the morning sun began to peep through the curtains and I couldn't stay in bed for much longer without feeling restless.

As much as I attempted to unwrap myself from Edward as cautiously as possible, his eyes still blinked open, "Where do you think you're going?"

I grinned, untangling from him and holding the sheet to my body, watching his eyes follow my movements with the utmost interest.

"To take a shower," I answered simply, throwing my legs over the edge of the bed, before pausing and looking back towards my husband.

"Would you care to join me?"

His sleepy smile turned into a full-blown grin as he threw his head against the pillow, "My God, I love you, Bella."

"I love you more," I bent down, pressing my lips against his.

"Impossible."

* * *

**A/N: Ta-dah!**

**So by popular request, I decided to do an epilogue! I'm not even going to bother trying to excuse the late post (I was suffering from a major lack of motivation to write this). Lots of you loved that the story ended where it did, some wished there was more. Ahhh, I felt so conflicted, but I also just wanted to end the story. **

**I have to admit something to you guys: that whole 'break-up' was never planned for me. I actually had a completely different idea, but I guess I wanted to make the story more realistic (kind of), and yeah, it happened. Just wanted to apologize if some of you hated it, because there were a LOT of strong opinions. I didn't really know what I was writing half the time. It was a learning experience, I guess. This whole story was a learning experience, to be honest. **

**Cannot thank you guys enough for everything! I know the story's over, but I'd still really love to read your thoughts on the epilogue – short as it was. **

**Xoxo**

**LoveACullen **


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Twilight, Romance