Chapter 1

BPOV

"You could stay the night" Edward said as he placed the third scary movie we'd watched that night into the DVD player. It was one in the morning and I was sprawled out on his sofa with a bowl of popcorn in my hands.

"You don't mind?" I asked between mouthfuls. My voice was both outlined with eagerness and anxiety. No matter how many horror films I watched I could not help but to jump at each one. Any normal best friend would refuse to see me torture myself this way but Edward sat loyally by my side each Friday night, no doubt in honest humor of my pitiful screams.

"Of course not." He chuckled at the thick tension in my voice as he returned to the couch. "I wouldn't want the boogie man to claim you on your way home"

"Funny, funny" I laughed. I tried to give a convincing smile as I scooted closer to him. He had just put in Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and there was no way I was going to watch it without as much human contact as I could get. I knew I was being a baby but Edward seemed not to mind as he cradled me against his chest. He threw an extra set of blankets around my now stiff body while he laughed quietly to himself.

I shifted my legs so as to give him more room but he only moved in closer. My heart skipped a beat. It still didn't make sense how after more than fifteen years of friendship my heart still accelerated at his touch. Even when we were little I couldn't remember not reacting this way. Just the simple high-five or soft nudge would send my heart into convulsions. I had long recognized my love for Edward as a lost hope but sometimes I couldn't help but to think that maybe his heart became just as faulty as mine when our bodies came in to contact.

The movie began to play just as I shoved my thoughts out of my head. It was so easy to get lost in my desire for my best friend. In fact it was something I had adjusted to living with once I immediately realized that he could never feel the same way. And maybe lying in his arms right now didn't exactly help with what little determination I had left but then again I never seemed able to resist sticking my hands into the cookie jar-no matter how many times they came back empty.

"Comfortable?" Edward asked as he massaged my back. He looked at me with his sweet amber eyes and smiled.

Well of course I wasn't comfortable now. How could anybody relax when the love of their life held and looked at them in that way. It was pure torture.

"Um yeah..thanks" I quickly averted my eyes back to the onslaught of the pretty brunette on the television as my heart slowly returned to its normal rate.

The rest of the night was filled with my screams followed by Edward's soft laughter. There'd been several times when I clung to him with such force that I swore my fingernails left imprints in his skin, but he never complained. In fact I would look up to apologize only to be greeted with a look of content and almost satisfaction. Or maybe I was just too tired to register his true expressions.

"Edward?" I whispered, drifting to sleep.

"Yes Bells?"

"I love you."

He chuckled softly. "I love you too"

No I wanted to scream as I opened my eyes.. I'm in love with you

But of course no such words escaped my lips and Edward watched on, unaware that my heart was spilling out with desire for him.

I tilted my head so I could see his face.

"Aren't you tired yet?" he teased. His eyes looked drained and droopy.

"Oh I'm sorry," I gushed, "here let me up so you can get to bed". I started to move but his hands quickly wrapped around my waist in protest.

"No I'm fine and besides you're not sleeping on the couch. We'll get up in a minute and you can move to my room." His eyes were soft but stern.

"No Edward- I"

Before I could finish he cupped my face in his hands and quietly shushed me.

"We don't have to worry about it now, I just want to sit here for a little while longer."

Maybe Edward hadn't put as much weight on his last sentence as I now imagined he had and maybe I was just to delirious from being next to him for so long, but I was absolutely content in staying in his arms for a little while longer. I nuzzled my head back into his chest and surrendered to sleep.

I woke up surprisingly not as sore as I should have been from sleeping on Edward's couch. And as I stretched and felt beneath me I was also not surprised to learn that he had transported me to his bed during the night.

As I turned to call his name I almost had a heart attack to find that he was lying right beside me-in bed.

"Hey sleepyhead, Happy Birthday"

In his hand was a saucer, which in turn held a small cupcake with a candle cradled in the center.

My lips stretched into a smile as I sat up to blow out the candle.

"Here's to a Happy 21st birthday"

Flushed, I sat the cupcake aside and hugged him. The hug lasted longer than usual and when I pulled away his expression was one of happiness but leaked something else…something that maybe I wasn't supposed to see.

He quickly recovered and said "Get dressed. I'm taking you to breakfast and then a few other places. Oh and call Alice. She's called you like twenty times" He rolled his eyes as he shrugged off my roommate and his sister Alice's tendencies to overreact.

"Oh shoot I forgot to call her last night to tell her that I was sleeping over."

He handed me my cell and I quickly dialed her number. Giving me one last suspicious grin, he kissed my forehead and walked out the room.

"Take your time".

I was about to pass out from the light headedness that was now accumulating when Alice's quirky voice soon filled my ears.

"Bella!"

"Hey Alice, sorry I didn't call. I spent the night at Edward's. We fell asleep watching scary movies."

"I figured" she laughed.

"Well are you going to be home soon? I wanted to do something for your birthday."

"Oh thanks Alice, but I think I might hang tight with Edward for a while…I think he's taking me to breakfast… and some other places I guess."

"Oh he is is he?" Her voice contained a tad bit more suspicion than of simple inquiry. Alice knew the way I felt for her brother and could never quite put her dreams to rest of the happy ending that I knew all to well would never occur.

"Alice, cut it out. Its just breakfast. I'll call you when I'm on my way home."

"Okay but don't forget to give my brother a big fat kiss for me…"

I could hear her chuckling to herself on the other end of the phone.

"Bye Alice" I laughed, shutting my phone.

I was about to walk into the shower when something sparkly caught my eye in Edward's wide bathroom mirror.

Nestled on my neck was a dainty silver necklace with a small pendant centered in the middle. I let out a yelp as I cradled the unfamiliar piece of jewelry that had not been there the night before.

Before I could even stop the tears that were running from my cheeks or the quick gasps of air that were leaking from my mouth, warm arms encircled around me.

I turned to see Edward's smiling face.

"What is…How'd you.." I stammered as I tried to control my voice.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his voice oddly shaped with anxiety.

I punched him in his side.

"Like it?" I asked incredulously, "Of course I like it. I love it! Its so beautiful… and plus it came from you." Hoping he wouldn't notice the intensity in which I placed my last words, I stood on my tipy toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. His body stiffened but he quickly tightened his hold on me.

"I cant believe you did this," I whispered in his ear, " I didn't even feel you put on me last night."

My eyes were still filled with appreciative tears as I let go and returned to look at him. He let go of my waist and placed his hands on both sides of my face. With his thumb he gently wiped away a falling tear.

My heart quickened.

" It wasn't easy. I'd thought you'd woken up three times. You talk so vividly in your sleep that I was sure you'd caught me."

"I do not" I laughed.

He still held my face and made no inclination of letting go. His thumb had now moved to my cheek and his eyes once again were immersed in something other than pleasure. He smiled widely and kissed my forehead.

"I'm glad you like it" he whispered in my ear.

Edward brought his face slowly back to mine and our eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity. My heart skipped a beat as his eyes fluttered from my eyes to my lips and back again. Was this really happening? Was I about to kiss Edward for the first time since our friendship had bloomed in the second grade or rather since my love had blossomed from the first time his lips uttered my name.

All of a sudden Kelly Clarkson's voice filled my head, interrupting my thoughts as my phone rang behind me...again and again.

Finally breaking our gaze, Edward chuckled and let go of my face.

"Bella, maybe you should get that."