Hey guys! Hope you're all doing great. I'm still in the process of moving, but I really do like my new job so far. My fiancé has been here this weekend and we had a great time exploring, but now he's headed back home so here I am : ) He's on the hunt for a job up here now though, so hopefully he finds something soon! I'm missing having someone to pester.

Not sure they'll be another update of this before the next chapter ofMe and You, but stay tuned. I'll post on facebook when I figure out what's going on.

Enjoy!

… …

The steady sound of Rosalie and Kate's breathing and the creaking of the old house were the only noises I could hear. It was three o'clock in the morning, and they had just fallen asleep several minutes before. Sleep eluded me, however, as my mind was racing with excitement over my plans to meetup with Edward later in the morning.

I knew there was no way he felt the same way about me as I did about him, but I allowed myself to dream. I had virtually no experience with boys, but Edward wasn't a boy. The little experience I didhave was nothing like what Edward would probably be used to and expect from a girl. No- from a woman. He clearly didn't see me that way. I was just a girl to him, a teenaged schoolgirl who he happened to cross paths with.

If Kate and Rosalie had caught onto my crush, neither of them had said anything. We had spent our night the same as we always did, eating ice cream, talking, and watching crappy movies. My mind had wandered occasionally, but Rosalie and Kate had kept my attention for the most part.

But now they were sound asleep and there was nothing to stop me from focusing on Edward. And I fell asleep with him on my mind.

… ….

"You were right." Edward lifted his camera to his eye, snapping pictures rapidly. "It's beautiful here. I've never been to a beach like this before...all these rocks, and the forest...it's pretty awesome out here."

I nodded, surveying Third Beach. Even though it was almost September and the temperature of the water was dropping, it was still popular. Children ran along the rocky shore, tailed by their mothers and fathers. A few brave souls were out in the water, and just seeing them out there made my teeth chatter.

"Whoa." Edward paused. He took a picture, the camera angled up towards the cliffs, and then turned to me. "Do people…jump?"

"From the cliffs?" He nodded. "Yeah, actually. Cliff diving is pretty popular, especially with the kids from the reservation." I said watching another person jump from the cliffs, their whoops and laughs audible even from a distance, and then hit the water with a splash. "Did you get a good picture?"

Edward held the camera out wordlessly, showing me the display with a little smile on his face. "I dunno, did I?"

The picture is, of course, incredible. The person is caught in the perfect motion, close enough to see their shape but too far away to really see. If you looked at a passing glance, you might not realize it was a person. The rocky cliffs and the open expanse of the ocean added to the photo, making it even more beautiful.

"It's beautiful….I love it. It's incredible how you can turn a simple view into something so...special."

"Thank you, Bella. You're doing wonders for my ego here. But I really do appreciate it."

We continued, talking quietly but mostly just taking it all in. I loved watching him with his camera, because it truly seemed like an extension of himself. Everything he did as he worked seemed so effortless, making him seem all the more incredibly talented.

After almost an hour, we sat down on some large rocks not far from the shore and I watched as Edward pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"I've never smoked before." I knew I sounded so juvenile as the words came out of my mouth, but…my guard was down around him and I found myself not caring.

"Good." Edward took a drag. "Don't start. It's a no good addiction."

I laughed, watching him. "Yeah? That doesn't mean much, coming from you."

"It's a nasty addiction," he admitted. "But it's better than others. And I had enough of all that. Believe it or not...this is safer."

"Than what?"

He half-smiled, shaking his head. "Another story for another time."

"So, there will be another time?"

"Sure. I'll be around for a while, and you're not bad company." He nudged me playfully, but I felt myself blush.

I wondered how obvious I was, and if he realized how I felt. He was either oblivious to my crush or just being nice- taking pity on me and pretending not to notice my blushing and attempts to spend more time with him.

"Hey, I have something to show you." Edward reached into his pocket, pulling his phone out. "I was working on some of those photos I took the other day, you know, in your meadow-"

"My meadow?"

"What? You call it something else?"

I shook my head. "I've never thought to really call it anything. It just…is."

"Well, to me, it's your meadow. Anyway, as I was saying…I was editing the pictures and this is the one I took of you."

He held his phone out to me, and I swear, my jaw actually dropped. I had never seen myself like this, and I hoped Edward saw me that way, too. Beautiful and ethereal and actually looking…grown up.

"Wow," I finally said. "Wow, Edward."

He chuckled, looking at the picture as well with a smile on his face. "You're really, really beautiful."

I turned to face him, suddenly so aware of how close we were sitting. "Thank you." It came out as a whisper, but I considered myself lucky that I wasn't rendered completely speechless by his presence.

I wished he would have kissed me then, but if he had, our story wouldn't have been the same.

… …

"Bella, I heard Mike is going to ask you to homecoming." Rosalie delivered this news like she was Moses bringing down the Ten Commandments. Grinning ear to ear, she flopped down next to me on the blanket we had spread out in the grass.

This was the first party of the year, and it was just about perfect. Alcohol flowed freely, and Rosalie's boyfriend, Emmett, had set up speakers in the bed of his truck. The atmosphere was mellow, and I felt a pang in my chest when I realized that this was the real marker of the beginning of the school year…meaning that it was just a matter of time before this was all over, and we all had to move on.

It made me move closer to Kate and Rosalie, who were chattering about the prospect of Mike Newton asking me to be his date to the homecoming dance.

"Mike is nice...and kind of cute, but really- I was thinking it'd be more fun to go stag this year."

Kate and Rosalie looked at me like I had grown another head. "Oh." It was Kate who spoke first. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Well…that'll be fun. Really. The only real benefit to a date is that they buy dinner…and since we were planning on eating at my house, that's not really applicable, is it?" Rosalie spoke kindly, not patronizingly. "Maybe you're on to something, Bella."

Emmett swooped in out of nowhere, pressing a sloppy kiss to his girlfriend's lips. "You wouldn't dare stand me up, Hale. I'm the hottest date in town."

Kate and I exchanged smiles. Rosalie and Emmett could be graphic, but they were the greatest couple. I loved Emmett almost as much as I loved my girlfriends- he was almost like a brother to me at this point, and his devotion to Rosalie made him even more lovable.

"Hey, speaking of homecoming," Kate began, kicking Emmett playfully to get him to stop macking on Rosalie. "Where are we on the party front?"

"My house." Emmett rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "My dad will be in Seattle all weekend for a conference, and my mom is tagging along. They okayed a party as long as it's halfway cleaned up by Sunday night. Rosie, is your brother still good for the kegs?"

Jasper Hale was a godsend. He was twenty three and a certified CPA now, but was still far from straight-laced and was happy to provide the alcohol for the occasional party. Without him, we'd be risking it with fake IDs and be forced to drive all the way to Port Angeles to use them. Rosalie assured Emmett that Jasper was okay with it, and then focused more on homecoming itself, including dresses and the voting for homecoming court.

Much like it had been for the past few weeks, my mind wandered to Edward. It had only been a matter of hours since we had seen each other at Third Beach, but I missedhim. I didn't know how it was possible, nor did I understand it, but I did recognize the feeling.

… …

Our tradition after Saturday night parties was to sleep in and then meet up for a late lunch at the diner. Today was no different, and we convened in our regular booth with sunglasses on and ordered all the greasy food we thought we could stomach.

Halfway through my patty melt and onion rings, I almost choked when Alice and Edward walked through the door arm in arm. They settled into a both on the other side of the diner, and I was even more surprised to see Jasper Hale walk in a few moments later and join them without hesitation.

"How does your brother know Alice and Edward?"

Rosalie turned slightly to see what I was looking at and shrugged her shoulders. "Jasper said he ran into them at the bar the other night. He thinks Alice is hot."

"She's pretty," I agreed. "Do…do you think she and Edward are together, though?"

"Nah." It was Kate who spoke first. "His website says she's his stepsister."

"Oh. Okay."

Rosalie kicked Kate underneath the table. "Stalker."

The three of us dissolved into giggles, and suddenly I felt goosebumps erupt all over my body, and I knew Edward had approached.

"Hey." He drummed his knuckles on the table, smiling. "Nice to see you guys."

Everyone exchanged pleasantries, but I thought that maybe he smiled the widest at me.

"Kate, I have like, half of your pictures done. Do you want to set up a time for you to come and see them? We're still staying at the place across the square."

"I'll come with you," I volunteered, the words leaving my mouth as soon as Kate agreed.

"Well, give Alice a call when you want to come see them. She'll tell you the room number and all that. See you guys later, okay?"

He gave a little wave and walked away, and the whole encounter was about three minutes long and mostly directed at Kate, but my heart was still practically pounding right out of my chest.

… …

Thanks for reading! Like I probably have mentioned before, I am still trying to figure out how I can work out my writing schedule. Other than classes in college, this is the first time I've had a real set schedule, and honestly a 9-5 job is a bit of an adjustment for me. I was working crazy hours and days before…but it was just very different. So please have patience and I promise updates will come. Thanks again, my loves!